
%~# : 
























•iq. 






. 



% 



% 



\: 



'O 






* 



%. 



p.- * 



V 



^ 



SANDS OF SAHARA 



BY 



MAXWELL SOMMERVILLE 

PROFESSOR OF GLYPTOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

AUTHOR OF " SLAM," " ENGRAVED GEMS," ETC. 



WITH THIRTY-TWO ILLUSTRATIONS 



PHILADELPHIA 

J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 

London : 36, Southampton Street, Covent Garden 
I 9 O I 



.0* 



«v 



93049 



Library of Co nq rests 

Two Copies Received 
DEC 24 1900 

SECOND COPY 
Oaliverod to 

ORDER DIVISION 
JAN 10 1901 



- 



\ 



^ 



-C 



A^ 



iP 



n 



% 



L* 



Copyright, 1900 

BY 

Maxwell Sommerville 



ELECTROTYPED AND PRINTED BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY, PHILADELPHIA, U.S.A. 



0\ 



CONTENTS 




* 






PAGB 


Sands of Sahara ...... 


7 


Algeria: Its Mosques 


IO 


The Monastery of Staoueli . 


. 17 


The Order of the Trappists 


19 


The Gardens and Industrial Buildings 


. 24 


The Dormitories and Refectory 


27 


Ostrich Farm ...... 


■ 29 


The Seaside City ..... 


30 


The Gorge of Chiffa: Its Monkeys 


• 34 


Moorish Houses and Bazaars in the Oriental City 


38 


The Algerian Garden ..... 


. 40 


Kabylia ...... 


42 


Tizi Ouzou . . . . . . . 


. 44 


Mount Belloua ..... 


45 


A Bellouan Funeral ..... 


. 48 


Kabylian Scenery ..... 


5o 


Evening at the Village Mosque 


• 52 


Ramadan ...... 


54 


A Glimpse at the Kabylians and their Country 


• 56 


Off to Souk-el- Arba ..... 


57 


Souk-el-Arba ...... 


. 64 


Fakirs and Fortune-Tellers 


7i 


Itinerant Aissouai ..... 


• 74 


Snake-Charmers . . * . 


75 


The Story-Teller ..... 


. 76 


The Enchanter Comes .... 


77 


En Route for the Sands. .... 


. 78 


Lambessa and Thimgad .... 

3 


80 



CONTENTS 



The Gate of the Desert 


. 84 


Amulets and Talismans 


85 


Talismans for Animals .... 


. 90 


Camel Races ..... 


90 


The Desert ..... 


• 93 


Camels Drinking .... 


96 


Palm Groves ..... 


. 98 


Touggourt ..... 


100 


Encampment of Prisoners' Wives 


. 103 


Market- Day at Touggourt 


104 


Touaregs ...... 


. 106 


The Auctioneers and Blind Dwarf 


108 


Hooded Falcons ..... 


109 


Camel, Goat, and Donkey Market 


109 


The Mosque ..... 


. in 


The Supply of Water 


112 


The Underground City .... 


• 115 


The Cafe Mauresque 


117 


Bedouin Encampments .... 


. 119 


Nezla ...... 


120 


Sidi Rachid ..... 


. 122 


Meggerine ..... 


128 


The Dunes of El Oued .... 


. 132 


Temacin and the Marabout 


134 


Appendix . . . . . 


• 153 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



View on the Desert of Sahara . . Frontispiece 

Greek Theatre, Syracuse ..... 8 

Prayer in the Desert: Three Positions . . 31 

A Moorish Cafe on the Desert .... 39 

The Jardin d'Essai, near Algiers . . . .40 

Camel with Natives, ploughing .... 44 

Female Water- Carrier . . . . . -47 

A Kabylian Village ..... 50 

A Group of Kabylians . . . . . .56 

The Market of Souk-el-Arba .... 64 

Arch of Triumph, Thimgad . . . . .80 

View of Thimgad ...... 82 

Roman Theatre, Thimgad . . . . 8^ 

El Kantara, the Gate of the Desert ... 84 

El Kantara, Mountain Sources of Water . . .85 

Camel-Drivers of the Sahara .... 90 

View on the Desert of Sahara . . . -93 

Caravan, Usual Manner of transporting Women . 95 

Camels drinking at an Oasis . . . . .96 

Date-Bearing Palm-Trees ..... 99 

Basket-Makers, Touggourt . m . . . .103 

5 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Nomad Women preparing Cous-cous, a Native Dish in 

the Sahara ...... 107 

A Woman of the Ouled Nails. . . . . 117 

Nomads in Camp . . . . . „ 119 

A Family spinning and weaving, Sahara . . .120 

Women weaving Material for Head-Dresses, — Haiks . 122 
The Jerboa ....... 124 

Rat A Trompe ...... 124 

Caravan of Dates, coming North . . . .127 

Halting-Station in the Desert . . . . 132 

Goats on the Desert . . . . . .150 

On the Desert, Caravan with Women . . . 151 



°o 



+, 



C° 



°o 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

The work of the Romans was by no means 
finished with the construction of the edifices and 
monuments that adorned their city on the Tiber. 
Wherever they colonized, they took with them the 
same skill that built Rome, as is demonstrated by 
the massive ruins that have been unearthed in all 
places that once were under their rule. Even in 
the sands of the African desert recent dis- 
coveries have brought to light remains of ancient 
cities, obviously important and luxurious, con- 
structed with enduring solidity. 

At Syracuse, on the coast of Southern Sicily, 
while en route for the land of sands and oases, 
we stood upon the marble slabs in the audito- 
rium of an ancient Greek theatre, a mute re- 
minder of the architectural skill of an epoch even 
more remote than the remains which we are 
about to visit on the continent to the south of 
the Mediterranean. The scenic stage of that 
temple of mirth is still there ; the chiselled seats 
are in the auditorium. Where the happy throngs 

7 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

of by-gone centuries sat in merriment and joy 
the traveller stands to-day, musing upon their 
disappearance. No vestige of human beings now 
remains ; only these ruins of human handiwork 
remind us of their past greatness. 

We also deserted its once brilliant proscenium ; 
and, passing through a narrow street between 
high walls, we came to an old wooden door with 
heavy bars, the entrance to a monastery. One of 
the monks, with whom we soon established friendly 
intercourse, accompanied us to the catacombs un- 
derneath the church, where are preserved the 
lifeless bodies of those of other days, — constant 
reminders of man's mortality. Through heavily 
vaulted archways, by massive stone steps, we 
reached the strange, silent, subterranean city. 

It has been the custom for centuries to place 
there, fully dressed in sacerdotal robes, the re- 
mains of the departed brethren of the monastery, 
and there they stand attached to the wall and 
beams, side by side in the order of their demise, 
on their shrunken forms the robes of priestly 
office, on their heads birettas or mitres, according 
to their earthly rank. But no scarlet birettas 
are seen, for the cardinals are laid in more im- 
posing sepulchres. Most of the remains of these 
brethren are dried up and mummified, ghastly 

8 



V 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

into the harbor, we are happily given a few 
moments in which to view Algiers from the sea, 
as it lies in its steep hills, the houses on the Kasba 
rising gradually one above another, so that almosfr 
every house has a view of the sea from either 
terrace or balcony. From their roofs, their 
windows, from gilded towers and minarets, the 
glistening rays of the declining sun come flash- 
ing back to us, — mute salutations and assurances 
of welcome. 

We have our pilot now ; in the foreground we 
see the quays thronged with moving men, watch- 
ing the steamer coming into port. The quays are 
built of massive stone, some thirty feet above the 
wharves where one lands from the ship, and the 
first great avenue along the front of the city, 
parallel to the sea, is reached by a series of high 
stone stairways. Behind this are other great stair- 
ways, rising far up through the mountain city, — 
Mustapha, and Mustapha Superieur, — with their 
throngs of human beings passing to and fro, 
mounting and descending the tortuous thorough- 
fares of this semi-tropical city. The muezzin's 
cry vibrates from minarets near and far as we 
approach the anchorage, and then the faithful, 
bowed upon their mats, pray to Allah, while 
from our hearts rise fervent gratitude to Him who 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

has brought us happily and in safety to this beau- 
tiful harbor. 

There is a proverb among the Kabylians, " Who 
hath not seen Kabylia hath not seen Algeria ;" so 
to Kabylia de Djurdjura we journey. But, as we 
pass through Algeria to Kabylia, the salt lakes, 
Batna, Biskra, and the desert of Sahara, we may 
profitably note some matters of interest in this 
border land, whose shores are lapped by the 
opalescent sea. 

Supposing, for the sake of convenience, that we 
have made our sea journey with friendly Moslems, 
— for otherwise we could not freely accomplish 
our intentions,- — we will repair at once to an 
Algerian mosque ; on the way we may take a 
glance at this land of perpetual sunshine. We 
follow our Moslem companions willingly, almost 
blindly, like sheep, so many strange sights meet 
the view, and in a maze of sight-seeing we pass 
through the busy world, which is, in the belief of 
the Mohammedan Arabs, a foretaste of Paradise. 

As a race these men are demonstrative in the 
expression of their happiness : many sing as they 
pass along the streets, as they weave, or dig, or 
work at their forges, or drive their camels along 
the ways. And often at the street corner, or 
leaning over the balustrade wall of the grand 

12 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

relics of a guild of devoted holy men who gave 
their lives to the service of their divine Master ; 
and they seem to have been denied even the 
repose of the grave, that they may thus be more 
ready to answer the final call. 

Beyond these catacombs are vast caverns, worn 
into the cliffs by the action of the sea, and near 
by, within the Latonia del Paradiso, an ancient 
quarry, is the cave known as " Dionysius's ear," 
so called from the tyrant of Syracuse under whose 
direction it is said to have been constructed. It 
has the shape of an immense human ear, and its 
acoustic properties are very great. Tradition 
says that Dionysius used it for a prison, and 
that, by virtue of its acoustics, he could hear in 
remote apartments the slightest word spoken by 
a prisoner. 

The man who exhibited and explained the cave 
to us took a sheet of letter-paper, and, standing 
within the portal of the ear, struck the edge of the 
paper with the forefinger of his right hand, — once, 
twice, thrice ; each light tap was repeated through 
the deep orifices of that stone ear as though it 
had been a blow with a heavy sledge-hammer on 
the roof of an iron house. He then rattled the 
paper slightly, and that feeble sound from the 
quivering paper was augmented a million-fold, 

9 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

reverberating through the vaults above and be- 
yond, like the crash and roll of thunder. He 
whistled, spoke, and called ; thousands of sten- 
torian voices repeated every sound. Turning to 
my companion, I said, " We must not longer 
tarry — Let us embark — Now we shall go to 
Kabylia — On our way to the desert of Sahara." 
Myriad lungs of stone caught up the last word of 
each phrase and answered aloud, "tarry — arry — 
embark — bark — Kabylia — bylia — Sahara — hara — 
ara — a — a." 

ALGERIA: ITS MOSQUES 

Leaving Syracuse, we continued our journey, 
taking steamer to Palermo and thence to the port 
of Algiers, which is one of those exceptionally 
beautiful ports in countries on both hemispheres, 
each inhabited by a distinct nationality and each 
possessing some quality peculiar to itself: the 
Golden Horn at Stamboul ; the citadel harbor of 
La Valetta at Malta ; Stockholm, thickly studded 
with islands ; Lisbon on the Tagus ; Rhodes in 
Asia Minor, where once the Colossus stood 
astride the entrance to the haven ; the Golden 
Gate of San Francisco ; and this port of Al- 
giers. 

Now, as our craft trembles in the returning 
surf, waiting for the pilot who is to take us safely 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

quay, may be seen those in whose countenances 
there is momentarily an exalted expression, an 
indescribable mien, which gives evidence that 
they are in converse with the prophet. Nor are 
these as Pharisees, making a public display of 
their devotions ; it is rather that a good Islamite 
is always devotional, even at his work. In fact, 
on observing closely, one may see at almost any 
hour of the day the wooden beads of a rosary 
slowly passing through the fingers of the devout, 
being counted by the thumb-nail. 

Other interesting sights claim our attention. 
In this land all is decorative : men on horseback 
are everywhere ; here comes a sheik in gay attire 
riding a richly caparisoned horse ; many of the 
cavaliers carry long guns across the pommel of 
their saddles, the stock and frame fairly loaded 
with arabesque designs in mosaic of ivory, bone, 
or brass, the barrel also enriched with ornamenta- 
tion, while the weapons of richer men are inlaid 
with beautiful metal-work resembling damaskeen- 
ing. Our time is limited, however, and we go to 
see what our Arab companions are about to do. 

Here is the quarter to which all men turn for 
their devotions, and the multitude hastens across 
the public square bathed in genial sunshine. Not 
appearing to observe those about us too closely, 

13 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

we enter the mosque of Djama el Kebir, the most 
ancient of Algiers, as is attested by a Cufic in- 
scription, which records that it was built in the 
409th year of the Hegira, — i.e., 1018 A. D. 

At all hours of the day many are passing in or 
out of the Court of the Fountains, an important 
adjunct to every mosque, and here assembles a 
large congregation. Streams of water are flowing 
into reservoirs all around the court or room, for 
the apartment is covered. As a general rule, in 
the centre of the court is a large marble fountain, 
having six, eight, or twelve sides, on each of which 
is a monumental bronze faucet ; and from these 
faucets clear water flows at times into a large 
marble basin, on whose broad polished edge the 
faithful sit while washing their hands and arms to 
above the elbows, their faces and heads, their 
feet and legs to above the knees, performing 
their ablutions after the manner of their faith, 
preparatory to entering the holy court for 
prayers. 

The stone slab floor is very wet from the num- 
ber of worshippers passing continually from their 
ablutions to their devotions on the prayer-mats. 
Fortunately, they do not seem annoyed by our 
presence, so long as we do not display undue 
curiosity ; nor do they hesitate to perform their 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

devotions under our scrutiny. They appear, in- 
deed, to be perfectly willing that we observe their 
significant ceremonies. 

In connection with the ablutions, it is an inter- 
esting fact that Mahomet made a provision where- 
by his followers, when crossing a desert, may 
use sand to simulate washing, or may even use 
a stone, when through any circumstances they 
find themselves where there is not sufficient water 
or sand for ablutions. 

We Christians, or heretics as they consider us, 
are admitted into the Court of ihe Fountains just 
as we enter from the street ; but before we can go 
into the praying-court of the mosque, we must 
lay off our shoes, or put on special slippers pro- 
vided by the custodians ; for which accommoda- 
tion the payment of an established fee is re- 
quired. 

After their ablutions, fitted by that cleansing 
act, emblematic of spiritual purity, they dare to 
go into the presence of the prophet and of God. 
As they then, barefooted, enter the court of 
prayer, they seem to realize the sanctity of the 
place and its surroundings, which is indeed a 
house of prayer. Their veneration for Mahomet 
is so intense that they seem to wonder that the 
heaven of heavens can contain him ; they attend 

15 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

his house, pray and return to their vocations, for 
the sake of being with his fold on earth. They 
are earnest ; they are emotional ; were it possible, 
they would touch the hem of the prophet's 
robe. 

Five times daily does the muezzin send forth 
his shrill and sonorous call to the faithful : " Allahu 
Akbar— Allahu Akbar— Allahu Akbar— Ashhadu 
an la ilaha ill* Allah — Ashhadu ana Muhammeda 
rrasulu 'llah — Ashhadu ana Muhammeda rrasulu 
'llah — heyya ala-ssalah — heyya ala-ssalah — heyya 
ala'l-falah — heyya ala'l-falah — Allahu Akbar — 
Allahu Akbar — la ilaha ill 'alah," and all who can 
go to the sanctuary do so. 

Their day is divided into two periods of twelve 
hours each, but the five periods of prayer do not 
correspond exactly to these divisions. The first 
period is Maghrib, a little after sunset ; the 
second is Asha, at nightfall, about one and a half 
hours after sunset ; the third, Subh, at daybreak ; 
the fourth, Duhr, at mid-day ; and the fifth, Asr, 
in the afternoon, about one and a half hours be- 
fore sunset. These periods of prayer also serve 
the people to mark the divisions of the day. If, 
for example, you engage an Arab for an early 
excursion on the morrow, he will assure you with, 
" Efifendi, I will come at Subh," — that is, he will be 

16 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

there at daybreak ; or if it is for the afternoon, 
he will say, " Effendi, I will come at Asr." 

THE MONASTERY OF STAOUELI 

So on the morrow at Subh the Arab, the horses, 
and the conveyance were promptly before the 
door. When one is where a glimpse at least of 
all that is interesting in a land should be seen, the 
rule of early rising is imperative and must be 
obeyed. Early rising with short hours of sleep 
enables us to repose during the hours of excessive 
heat, and thus to go greater distances and to en- 
joy better the itinerary of the day. Our destina- 
tion on this occasion was the Trappist monastery 
on the plain of Staoueli. For some kilometres 
we were uncertain which went most willingly, 
we or the horses ; for with the invigorating sea- 
breeze, tempered by the early morning air, the 
horses sped along, reaching out their nostrils and 
turning their heads in every direction, as though 
they, too, enjoyed each view. The Tchagra shrike 
and the dusky ixos, too, were already alert, singing 
as they stepped from twig to twig and mounted 
from branch to branch, as though from the highest 
tree-tops they also would take a retrospective 
view. 

The scene changed ; trees became less frequent, 
a 17 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

though the species varied and added interest to 
our investigation of all that was beautiful. Al- 
ready at Pointe Pescade, when daybreak overtook 
us, the shadows of the old Moorish fort faded 
upon our road. The placid sea near which it 
stands gave back as from an undulatirfg mirror a 
picture of its brine-washed battlements, all gilded 
by the morning light. Each knoll, each rocky 
terrace, is studded with hamlet or villa. From all 
points of view, whence we looked back upon the 
glittering windows of the Arab city surmounted 
by Kasba and crowned by Mustapha Superieur, 
came the morning light ; for there, seated midst 
luxuriant trees, the white hostelries of the northern 
guests reflected the flashing rays of an Algerian 
sun. Then to Cape Caxines ; its light-tower, the 
Roman dolmens and quarries. Beyond Sidi- 
Feruch, a barren course on sterile sands served 
as a foil for the peaceful picture we soon enjoyed. 
The neighing of our horses, by this time am- 
bling in willing gait, announced that we were 
nearing our destination. 

Under the umbrageous branches of a group of 
low palm-trees by the road-side, while our horses 
rested, I recited to my companion an account of 
the origin and history of the order of the Trap- 
pists, of which in Italy I had already made an 

iS 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

especial study. A book of which I am the 
publisher has enabled me correctly to note many 
of the following facts. 

THE ORDER OF THE TRAPPISTS 

The order of the Trappists was founded in 
1 1 40 by Rotrou, Count of Perch e, at Soligny in 
France. There it was known as La Trappe, so 
named from the fact that the original first monas- 
tery was erected at the narrow entrance of a 
gorge which was known as " the trap-door/' 

The fervor of the monastic orders of the middle 
of the twelfth century declined, and La Trappe 
formed no exception to the general decadency. 

The trouble was that secular ecclesiastics were 
empowered to hold monastic benefices, with 
neither residence in the cloister nor conformity to 
the rule of the society in which they thus ranked 
as heads. This wrought mischief; and though 
the Trappists endeavored to resist, their efforts 
were fruitless. After continuing under a series 
of these titular abbots, the estates of the abbey 
were impoverished, the buildings were suffered to 
fall into nearly total ruin, and for want of exem- 
plary leaders, and without the good example of 
pious rulers, the conduct of the monks became 
notoriously scandalous. 

19 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

Such was the condition of things when a re- 
former appeared in the person of Armand Jean 
Bouthillier de Ranee, born in Paris, January 9, 
1626. His family was wealthy and titled, holding 
prominent positions in the courts of justice, the 
army, and the church. Showing, even as a child, 
evidences of considerable ability, he was placed 
under tutors of the highest accomplishments. 
He made remarkable progress, and was tonsured 
in 1635, when not quite ten years of age, and on 
the death of his elder brother, two years later, 
was at once made the possessor of the benefices 
which had been intended for the deceased. Thus, 
at a little over ten years of age he found himself 
to be Canon of Notre Dame de Paris and Abbot 
of La Trappe, to say nothing of priories and 
other high appointments. 

He was ordained deacon in 1648, and being in 
vigorous youth, well educated, and of refined and 
noble mien, he appeared indeed to have been 
made to govern. Though for a time he indulged 
in the dissipations of his day and class, he never 
failed to command the respect of those who had 
built their hopes on him. He was ordained 
priest in 1651. When examined in 1652 for his 
license as bachelor in theology, he was ahead of 
all his competitors, while the famous Bossuet 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

ranked third. In 1653 he lost his father, who 
bequeathed to him property which largely in- 
creased his already ample fortune. In 1654 he 
graduated as doctor of divinity, yet still he lived 
a life inconsistent with his sacred profession. 
The sudden death of the Duchess of Rohan- 
Montbazon (with whom he was intimate, and 
whose relations with him caused much unfavor- 
able comment) is said to have been the first great 
shock which began the career of change in his 
opinions of life and duty. 

The story which made known to his associates 
his conversion and his determination to live 
nearer to God is romantic. It was said that 
De Ranee arrived at the Duchess's house un- 
aware of her death, and went directly to her 
apartment without being warned by the servants, 
only to find her head lying apart from her body, 
having been cut off because the coffin was too 
short and there was no time to procure another. 

This terrible event certainly made a great im- 
pression upon him. But whether his conversion 
was due to it or not, the change in his habits was 
at least coincidental with the fatal end of Madame 
de Montbazon's career. The three years follow- 
ing her demise were largely spent in solitary 

studies or in visits to the monasteries of which 

21 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

he was chief. Then came the death of the Duke 
of Orleans, whose chief almoner he was, which 
appears to have caused his final decision. After 
making provision for family claims and retaining 
a comparatively small sum for the repair of the 
Abbey of Boulogne and the Monastery of La 
Trappe, he distributed the remainder of his prop- 
erty to the poor. 

He finally decided to enter the monastic life, 
and began his novitiate at the Cistercian Abbey 
of Perseigne, assuming on his profession in 1664 
the actual headship of the Abbey of La Trappe, 
whose nominal abbot he had been for nearly 
thirty years. 

Though De Ranee judged some details of the 
original rule unsuited to his own day, he was so 
far from diminishing its general austerity that he 
added to the protracted fasts, the total abstinence 
from meat, fish, eggs, and wine, the laborious 
manual occupations, the hard beds, and the obli- 
gation of perpetual silence, save at prayers. 
These austerities, though cheerfully embraced by 
the monks of La Trappe and attracting enthusi- 
asts from without, were far from being approved 
generally ; but De Ranee, thinking it possible that 
an attempt might be made to mitigate the severities 
he had introduced, induced the monks of La 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

Trappe to renew their vows and to pledge them- 
selves against the admission of any relaxations. 

Advancing years and unremitting asceticism 
told even on the strong constitution of De Ranee, 
and eventually he found himself unable to take 
his share of the manual labors of the house or 
even to be present in chapter, so that in 1695 he 
felt obliged to resign the abbacy, procuring the 
nomination of the prior, Zosimus, to be his suc- 
cessor. Little success attended a number of ap- 
pointments until De Ranee had a sympathetic 
friend, Jacques de la Tour, nominated by the king. 

It was during the abbacy of De la Tour that 
De Ranee died, October, 1700, in his seventy- 
fifth year. 

Nothing remarkable concerning La Trappe has 
been recorded until the order was included in 
the general suppression of monastic fraternities 
during the French Revolution in 1 790. This mon- 
astery was compelled to close and the order emi- 
grated to Switzerland, although great efforts were 
made to save La Trappe from the provisions of 
the decree because of its high character. 

During several succeeding years the Trappists 

knew little rest ; they were suppressed, and 

driven from one country to another ; so that they 

planted many monasteries, only to find them con- 

23 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

fiscated as soon as they were comfortably estab- 
lished. They tried Spain, Germany, England, 
Switzerland, Italy, Canada, and even Pennsylvania, 
Kentucky, and Iowa, until in 1843 tne French 
government granted to the Trappists twenty-five 
hundred acres of desert land on the plain of 
Staoueli, where they founded the establishment 
which we are about to visit and whose prosperity 
is so unprecedented. 

THE GARDENS AND INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS 

Monastic orders throughout Europe usually 
erect their asylums on rocks, eminences overlook- 
ing some valley, or at least on a site commanding 
a fine view ; but the Trappists, as though hoping 
to realize the promise in Isaiah xxxv. 1, — "The 
desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose," — 
have built their sanctuary and cloisters on this 
desert plain. To these in the half-century of 
their occupation they have added their store- 
houses, granaries, vintage-halls, flour-mills, cattle- 
stalls, and machine-shops. Beyond the monastery 
enclosure are their orchards, groves of date-palms, 
vineyards, and fields of rare roses, so that in very 
truth the prophecy has been more than literally 
fulfilled, and so diligently have the Trappists 

toiled and tilled this desert tract of Staoueli during 

24 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

half a century, that to-day the barren plain, once 
a stopping-place for vultures, has been supplanted 
by rich gardens and cultivated fields. 

Many nations now send here their weary, feeble 
ones to be refreshed. Thousands of strangers 
speed their way from the north each winter to 
taste the fruits and wine and milk and honey in 
these pasture-monuments of silent Trappists' toil, 
of which all who wish may come and partake 
freely and without price. 

The way to the monastery gate is by an avenue 
of shade-trees. There is a pretentious arched 
porte cochere, but we passed in through a less im- 
posing portal on the west of the main entrance. 
The custodian, accompanying us into a reception 
room, announced our arrival by pulling the bell- 
cord in the archway, so momentarily breaking 
the silence. We were soon ushered into the 
visitors' refectory, where we partook of a very 
generous and appetizing repast. As no meat is 
allowed within the monastery, the lunch consisted 
of several kinds of stewed vegetables, bread, fresh 
oranges from the cloister gardens, and excellent 
wine, both white and red, the vintage of which is 
now the principal industry of the monks. In fact, 
it is only in the monastery that one can enjoy the 
delicious flavor of this wine. Quantities of it are 

25 



SANDS OF SAHARA 



sold, but transportation, even to Algiers, robs it 
of its bouquet, its finest quality. 

Although the Trappists are pledged not to 
speak, except to remind one another each morn- 
ing, " Memento mori," the abbot is exempted 
from this rule, as are those appointed for the 
guidance and entertainment of visitors, with whom 
they may speak, and of course all the brethren 
may use their voices when at prayer, to which 
duty they now devote eight hours ; De Ranee 
ordered eleven. These are indeed hours of prayer- 
ful devotion to their divine Maker, the Creator 
of all things, the decorator of every little flower, 
the giver of all that we enjoy or need or 
know. 

No women are allowed to enter farther than the 
strangers' refectory ; but men may be conducted 
by one of the monks over the principal depart- 
ments of the domain, — to the repository of the 
cereals, the cattle, the horses, the wine-presses 
and vaults, and the stills where the brothers ex- 
tract the aromatic principle from the eucalyptus 
and manufacture a cordial similar to the liqueur 
made by the monks at the Grand Chartreuse in 
the mountains above Grenoble, France. They 
also extract a volatile resinous alcohol from the 

eucalyptus, the inhalation of which is wonderfully 

26 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

efficacious in the relief of the respiratory organs 
when oppressed. 

THE DORMITORIES AND REFECTORY 

The refectory and the dormitories are particu- 
larly interesting to those unaccustomed to self- 
denial, and who not only have enough, but who 
are satisfied with nothing less than dainties. The 
dormitories are rigidly plain, each monk having 
allotted to him a narrow cheerless cell, with a 
bench and bed. The refectory is equally unin- 
viting : narrow board tables, hard benches, the 
plainest table furniture, yet all scrupulously clean. 

They have learned that cleanliness is akin to 
godliness. A majority of Trappists in the muni- 
cipal councils of some great cities might tidy them 
up and improve their salubrity. 

Under a succession of abbots the rules have 
been changed, both in regard to the abstinence 
from certain aliments and the quality of the beds, 
which are generally of hard wood. De Ranee 
ordered that each monk should sleep on straw in his 
own coffin, and even commanded that every monk 
should spend part of each evening in digging his 
own grave. One could suppose that, should this 
function be diligently fulfilled, the graves might 
become caverns in the bowels, of the earth. 

27 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

There are numerous inscriptions on the walls, 
against the arches, and over the doors, such as 
" S'il est dur de vivre a La Trappe, Qu'il est doux 
d'y mourir," — ''Though it is hard to live at La 
Trappe, how sweet it is to die there !" 

This retreat of men practising asceticism 
roused in me reflections : involuntarily I spoke 
aloud as I stood there, separated only for a few 
days from all the luxuries of civilization, yet be- 
lieving in God, and hoping to come finally to His 
right hand without any fasting or works of super- 
erogation, but simply through the merits of Christ. 
And these reflections were strengthened when one 
of the Trappist guides, whom I had previously 
known at Trei Fontani, Rome, said to me, " I 
have always believed that I am securing the sal- 
vation of my soul by making this sacrifice, but 
when I hear you expressing such beautiful senti- 
ments of faith and trust in the mediation of Christ, 
the thought comes to me, * What shall be my lot, 
what my disappointment, if, after faithfully per- 
forming these works and this penance of holding 
no intercourse with my fellow-men, I should after 
all fall short of the prize and be forever lost ?' ' 

But whether or not we believe in the asceti- 
cism of the Trappists, one can truthfully and 
freely say that their refuge is a worthy enterprise, 

28 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

in that it contributes to both the spiritual and 
temporal nourishment of man. It is a house 
where God is honored. 

OSTRICH FARM 

Leaving the monastery, we journeyed to Zeralda, 
where a visit was made to the farm for the breed- 
ing and rearing of ostriches. Here we saw an 
undertaking which caters to fashion and which is 
altogether of this world, worldly. The prince of 
vanity smiles when he sees fair women bedecked 
with the feathers of this bird of the desert. 
Most commodities prepared for exportation are 
either for alimentation, for the necessary costume, 
or for the general comfort of the human race. This 
article of commerce, though such an important 
feature in a financial sense, may justly be termed 
a luxury. In fact, the only object in hunting and 
rearing these birds is to secure their beautiful 
feathers for decoration. 

The hunt is very exciting. When chased, the 

ostriches, about six or seven together, run in large 

circles, and the only way of overtaking them, 

on very fleet horses, is for a portion of their 

mounted pursuers to make a flank movement. 

Even then their long strides often enable them 

to outrun the fleetest horses. 

29 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

No detailed description of these farms will be 
given. In the cages and enclosures may be seen 
hundreds of ostriches, of all ages, — one day, a 
week, a month, and on up to maturity. Those 
of several years are kept to pluck as often as 
their renewed plumage warrants stripping them. 
The feathers of the ostrich are carefully laid, one 
on the other, in peppered packages. A pound 
of selected pure white plumes will command seven 
hundred and fifty francs ($150.00), while some 
very fine single feathers are worth about twenty- 
five francs ($5.00) each. 

Their eggs are often curiously engraved with 
talismanic decoration by the natives of the Fayum, 
Khartum, and the country adjacent to Abyssinia. 
Specimens of these engraved talismanic shells may 
be seen in my collection in the Museum of the 
University of Pennsylvania. 

THE SEASIDE CITY 

Our day was waning, and the horses willingly 
turned towards the hillside city, from the minarets 
of which, even before we entered, we were met by 
that melodious appeal, — the call to evening prayer. 

The muezzin's voice still penetrates even the 
inner courts, when with our Moslem companions 
we enter the court of prayer. Already more 

30 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

than a hundred earnest men are engaged at their 
devotions. Each new-comer moves noiselessly- 
through the assembled congregation until he 
selects a carpet or mat suited to his convenience. 
Visitors naturally remain standing ; their place is 
beneath an arch just within the inner court. 

While reciting portions of the Koran the devout 
worshipper, standing facing the east because 
Mecca is there, begins by placing his open hands 
to the lobes of his ears, then lets them fall below 
his waist at either side. Placing his hands on his 
knees, he inclines his head far forward, bending 
at the waist. Then falling upon his knees, keep- 
ing his hands in the same position, he sits for a 
few moments on his heels ; and lastly, extending 
his hands on the floor in front of him, he bows 
until his forehead rests upon the prayer-carpet or 
mat. His prayer in this posture is from the first 
surah of the Koran. It is called " el fatha" and 
corresponds somewhat to our Lord's Prayer : "In 
the name of God, the merciful and gracious. 
Praise be to God, the Lord of Creatures, the 
merciful and gracious, the Prince of the day of 
judgment. We serve Thee, and we pray to Thee 
for help. Lead us in the right way of those to 
whom Thou hast shown mercy, upon whom no 
wrath resteth and who go not astray." 

31 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

These earnest men bowed there, though sincere, 
are bigoted. They believe what their faith teaches 
them, — that they are certainly the elect. They 
seldom attempt to convert others to their faith 
because they are taught that at the foundation of 
the world the destiny of each soul was already 
determined. 

Now the prayer is finished and the men retire 
from the shrine. Their hearts thus comforted, they 
return to the outer courts, where assemble the 
gossipers, dealers in rosaries, — without crosses, — 
talismans, amulets of red, green, and yellow 
leather, containing portions of surahs of the 
Koran. A simple, straightforward purchase is 
seldom made. The transaction of buying and 
selling is always accomplished after considera- 
ble bargaining and diminution of demands, even 
within the sacred enclosure of the mosque. 

Then the Moslems put on their shoes and wait 
while we remain to view the interior of the 
mosque. The most prominent object before us, 
at the extreme eastern wall, is the mimbar, a tall 
pulpit in the form of a narrow tower reached by 
a very steep stairway. It is for the Imam, the 
priest of the daily prayers. The painted decora- 
tions of the wall are unique, consisting of ara- 
besques of interlaced, broad, flat lines. Some of 

32 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

them resemble Oriental carpet designs, a species 
of ornamentation peculiar to the sanctuaries of 
the prophet. They are names of their four 
principal Moslem archangels, — Asrayl, Jebrayl, 
Israfyl, and Mikayl, — and pious ascriptions : 
" God is unique ; He is the God eternal ; He has 
not had offspring, nor was He created, nor is 
there any one equal to Him." 

Among the most interesting and valuable pos- 
sessions of the mosques are their manuscript 
copies of the Koran. These manuscripts are hand- 
somely and richly illuminated, that in Djama el 
Djedid being superbly decorated. 

Of an afternoon one sees a Hezzabin seated 
cross-legged on a mat in a corner of the mosque 
with a score or more of the faithful sitting about 
him in the form of three sides of a hollow square, 
listening to his reading of the Koran, while on 
rugs in another corner, on the floor, are as many 
more learning the interpretation of the law from 
a Mufti. 

Mosques in all Mohammedan countries have 
certain similar features. The general plan is 
that of a vast parallelogram, the architecture is 
that of a people accustomed to live out of doors ; 
of a people who as Islamites were nomadic, and 
who, even now, when journeying, often carry their 

3 33 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

prayer-mats with them ; so that they can, and do, 
find their temples in the desert or wherever they 
may wander. It is very natural, therefore, that 
the interiors of most of such edifices are not 
ornate, though at certain times at night the effect 
of many lamps and lanterns hanging from chains 
is very fine. From the outside they are very 
beautiful, in the picturesqueness of their minaret, 
dome, and twisted column. From the centre rises 
the larger cupola or dome, while from the corners 
apertures in other domes add to the dim religious 
light which pervades the interior. 

There is a quality of grandeur peculiar to the 
shrines where Islam lifts up its heart to God. At 
noontide there, as though enticed by the impres- 
sive silence, the sun's golden rays, mellowed by 
blending with the hazy atmosphere of the sacred 
precinct, cast down those kindly beams of light 
symbolic of the divine presence and in recognition 
of the pious aspirations and earnest prayers there 
ascending through the prophet to God. 

THE GORGE OF CHIFFA: ITS MONKEYS 

Now, having fully observed this congregation 
and its place of worship, we left it, to visit on 
the morrow a country scene, greatly in contrast 
with what had there engaged our attention. 

34 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

The horses were neighing and snorting as, leav- 
ing the cultivated fields, the way became more and 
more confined by rocks and trees on either side. 
The air was fresher, cooler. The ascent, though 
gradual, was marked, and soon the Gorge of 
Chiffa was reached. In tropical climates or in 
countries bordering on the parching sands one 
can fully appreciate the shade and freshness of 
a wood-protected way. The morning air was 
redolent with the odors given out by plants 
and flowers fully, matured by an African sun. 

It was a privilege to be that day in the Gorge 
of Chiffa. We stood spell-bound in the grandest 
of sanctuaries. There were no stone walls, no 
spire, no organ. The monarchs of the forest with 
their lofty branches canopied this natural shrine ; 
the windows were the vast expanse of the heavens ; 
the light coming within to cheer the worshippers 
was softened by the intervening foliage. And 
within this sanctuary all things living in the forest 
found expression for their adoration. 

The assemblage was of the strangest. Looking 
up into the galleries of that superb forest temple 
we beheld a congregation of monkeys joining with 
all nature in rendering praise to the divine Giver 
of all good things. 

The interest in their services was heightened by 

35 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

the music of their choir, in which the choristers 
were the birds of the forest, whose songs charmed 
all ears and awakened emotions in the souls of 
those who, though strangers, now joined in the 
general anthem of praise. 

How dignified they were in their assembly ! 
The broad outreaching branches of those virgin 
trees were the temple seats ; the monkeys sat in 
rows in parties of two, three, or four together, 
with occasionally a single fellow sitting all alone, 
a bachelor perhaps. While most of them sat 
decorously, evidently in worship, there were cer- 
tain patriarchal monkeys that passed from one 
part of the area occupied by the assembly and 
who sat down for a few minutes on the branches 
beside the different families of the parish, and 
seemed to give them counsel or good advice. 
Some of these visits appeared to be of condolence 
and sympathy, for the old fellows evidently were 
trying to administer consolation to those who had 
never married. 

The ceremonies were conducted with the great- 
est propriety. The monkeys not only sat there 
sedately, but seemed to be taking part in a ser- 
vice in which they were deeply interested. 

There were certain important, serious-looking 
fellows who appeared to exhort, and who certainly 

36 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

addressed the multitude. One beautiful feature 
was that no contribution was demanded for the 
support of other communities of their race on 
distant islands, nor did they recommend sending 
any one to look after the monkeys of other climes ; 
they seemed satisfied to remain in the Gorge of 
Chiffa, realizing that their most important duty 
was to be kind to one another. 

As they were about to close and go out into the 
world the ruling elders could clearly be seen run- 
ing about, passing from tree to tree, the branches 
being interlaced ; nor did the assembly break up 
until those evidently respected officials had visited 
and saluted the entire convocation. Even when 
they left, their departure was not made hastily, 
but most decorously. With one consent they 
seemed to say, "We go to gather the food pro- 
vided for us." 

After that serious council had adjourned it was 
fun to see the monkeys enjoying themselves, 
scampering from tree to tree and swinging from 
branch to branch, some hanging by their tails, 
others in little coteries hand in hand enjoying 
their mid-air frolic ; but the old bachelor did not 
clasp hands with anybody. He was more to be 
pitied than those maidens who had never contem- 
plated matrimony ; they at least had that pleasure 

37 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

in anticipation. But he, that celibate, was es- 
tranged from the world ; he had left hope forever 
behind him. Though only a monkey, he should 
be a warning to all men who wish to do the right 
thing. 

The custodian of a neighboring subterranean 
grotto who had shown us its stalactites and 
stalagmites, after coming out of the cavern ex- 
pressed himself earnestly on the wonderful cere- 
mony of the monkeys, stating that, although he 
was a native of that gorge, he thought it an ex- 
ceptional occurrence. He had often seen them 
thus assembled, though rarely had he observed 
them perform so thoroughly exercises so appar- 
ently devotional. 

Carrying with us a vivid and lasting memory of 
this curious lesson of brotherly love in the forest, 
we rode back and re-entered the great Oriental 
city. 

MOORISH HOUSES AND BAZAARS 
IN THE ORIENTAL CITY 

Here we see ancient Moorish houses, — palaces 
indeed, — with their chiselled iron gates, their 
carved doors, their artistic knockers, finely carved 
banisters, twisted marble columns and arches, 
porticos, and curiously decorated tiles. 

In the thoroughfares we encounter men of many 

38 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

nations and of diverse complexions, red, brown, 
white and black, of all ranks and conditions, of 
whom the poor seem the merriest : many sing, 
while others beat the tam-tam. Here, too, are 
dealers in everything that pertains to the gaudy 
costumes of this picturesque people ; and here 
are the sellers of sweet pastes and candied fruits. 
The air vibrates with their mercantile cries, and is 
heavy with the odor of parching coffee and the 
smoke of chibouques and nargilehs. Among that 
merry throng pass those that are blind, some of 
them young, yet contented with their lot, for 
through their affliction they are exonerated from 
military duty. Nor need they ask for charity, for 
here all men are sympathetic. The blind do not 
want ; they sit at the doors of the Moorish cafes, 
enjoying their frugal fare ; they listen to the tam- 
tam, and dream. Behold a picture of content- 
ment ! 

Above the bazaars, fountains, and endless 
street scenes in the lower city is an almost inter- 
minable stone stairway leading by a circuitous 
way to the upper town. We lost count of these 
steps as we climbed ; the figures crowded each 
other from memory and still we climbed, realizing 
by experience how the houses do really mount one 
above the other during that climb from Djama el 

39 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

Djedid on the government square to the Mosque 
of Side aba el Rohmen el Talebi, by the way of 
the Marche de la Lyre and the Kasba, the old 
citadel and palace of the Deys of Algiers. We 
reached our destination at last, and the memory of 
the struggle quickly faded into oblivion, leaving 
only the thought of the pleasure gained. May it 
be so with all who make this ascent ! 

THE ALGERIAN GARDEN 

At the Gorge of Chiffa we admired the forest 
trees on whose branches the monkeys sat ; some 
miles to the north near the sea-coast in the sub- 
urbs of the principal city is a municipal garden 
where one can see specimens of many of the 
rarest trees of tropical or semi-tropical countries. 
Many of these unique plants and trees may 
perhaps be more interesting to some minds than 
the gaudy attire of the people of the desert. 

The avenues are shaded by palm-trees from 
Africa, Java, India, and Japan ; and throughout 
the garden may be seen fine specimens of mag- 
nolias, plane-trees, Madagascar cypresses, eu- 
calypti, bananas, dates, india-rubber trees, the 
dwarf and larger white cocoa-trees, etc. 

The india-rubber trees have grown so luxuri- 
antly that those shoots which hang down from 

40 




Jardin d'Essai, near Algiers. 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

the branches until they reach the ground have 
taken root and multiplied, — actually threatening 
to bar the carriage-way like the banyan-trees in 
India, Burmah, and Siam. 

The bamboos are especially beautiful. The 
trunks of these reeds grow in long tubular 
sections or joints from two to five inches in 
diameter, but do not equal in size or vigor those 
of India and Burmah. 

The Madagascar ravenala has the peculiarity 
of always guarding a supply of water at its base. 
This precious tree is of inestimable value in hot 
countries, and when punctured or tapped with a 
knife, frequently serves as a source or spring of 
water from which man may slake his thirst. 
There is in some desert regions of Syria a 
species of thistle with thick stalk, which performs 
much the same function as the ravenala. One 
of the Persian servants attached to my private 
caravan, on passing through this portion of Syria, 
when no source of water was to be found, would 
occasionally step aside and cut a stalk of this 
plant. The flower having been removed and the 
stalk being stripped, it was found to be an agree- 
able substitute for a refreshing, cooling draught. 
True it is that each land has the vegetation best 
adapted to its climate and best suited to its needs : 

41 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

cooling fruits in the tropical zone ; in colder lati- 
tudes cereals that warm the blood. 

Those who are gourmets of fruits may imagine 
the delight of plucking bananas, cocoanuts, 
mandarins, etc., fresh from the trees just at the 
moment they are ripe and luscious with perfect 
juice. 

We returned again to the city, where, from the 
terrace of a hotel on the brow of the heights of 
Mustapha Superieur, we enjoyed a restful view of 
the harbor far beneath us. Ships were arriving 
and departing ; lesser craft were passing to and 
fro ; and over each object on the curving coast 
the twilight cast a many-tinted sheen. The day- 
light fades ; the ships lie quiet at their anchorage 
and neither come nor go ; those who go in them 
down to the sea rest from their labors. So we 
leave the view, and go to record the incidents of 
the day, and to dream of this wonderland. Then 
to rest, for to-morrow we start for Kabylia. 

KABYLIA 

The next morning found us again en route, 
leaving the denizens of the Moorish hillside city 
to indulge in a little more folding together of the 
arms. 

The sea-breeze whistled through the long, sharp 

42 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

leaves of the royal palms. The upper branches 
of the higher trees already caught the dawning 
rays of generous sunlight. The chaffinch and 
the blue titmouse with one accord gave forth the 
matinal oratorio of their tuneful species. The 
bamboos, refreshed by the moisture of an Alge- 
rian night, waved their dew-laden branches as we 
registered the second kilometre of our way. 
Acres of oranges gilded Oued Smar, lemon groves 
embossed Rouiba, and blossomless fig-trees al- 
ready laden with fruit tempted us to stop and 
taste at Reghaia, while at either side, at Alma and 
Corso, almonds in bloom delighted our eyes. 
The direction of the route was well defined by 
the plane-trees that skirt the road to Menerville. 
In every direction, hedging every lane and by-way, 
were the peculiar sanitary trees of the Eucalyptus 
family. These trees were umbrella-shaped, and 
loaded with flowers of deep saffron-colored droop- 
ing leaves with dark garnet-hued petals, forming 
a button in the centre. 

Our way for many kilometres beyond Blod 
Guitoun passed through farm lands and villages, 
until beyond Camp Marechal the road was sur- 
rounded in all directions by snow-clad mountains 
and peaks, rising from the plain, one behind and 
above the other. Dark forest clumps in places 

43 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

stood boldly out against their white bases, height- 
ening their picturesqueness. At a greater eleva- 
tion were glaciers and fields of snow, which seemed 
to the eye to roll off into obscure gorges, leading 
back into still wilder and more mysterious chasms. 
Imagine those dazzling sunlit snow-towers, and 
you have a picture of the white battlements and 
the icy gate- ways of Kabylia, — Kabylia in Africa, 
whose December ripens fruits that would perish 
under a temperate summer sun. 

Over well-tilled fields and hills studded with 
grazing cattle, where by primitive ploughs and 
intense human toil deep furrows are turned, we 
passed to reach the higher mountain range, mount- 
ing plateaus and ridges. 

TIZI OUZOU 

Finally, after passing through a great valley, we 
found ourselves at Tizi Ouzou, where we sat down 
to eat the fruits and drink the wine of the country. 
And here we spent the night, knowing that in 
such a country as Kabylia there are times when 
to find any resting-place at all is good fortune. So 
we gratefully accepted such poor accommodations 
as were to be had, and appreciated greatly what 
rest we found. When we were ready to retire 
for the night we were conducted across the stable- 

44 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

yard and up an almost perpendicular outside 

stairway to our apartment in an annex above the 

quarters of camels, horses, and goats. 

Calling to aid our ingenuity, we proceeded to 

arrange the room by spreading newspapers about 

the floor, and thus improvised substitutes for hooks 

on which to place our clothes and articles of toilet, 

all of which objects were literally hung up upon 

the floor. A dozen gimlets are recommended as 

part of the equipment of any one going to 

Kabylia. 

MOUNT BELLOUA 

The following day, after a breakfast consisting 
chiefly of dates, figs, bread, and wine, we started 
out on saddled burros (donkeys), accompanied by 
a guide and two boy drivers, to make the ascent 
of Mount Belloua. The fertile plain between 
Tizi Ouzou and the mountain was quickly passed ; 
the ascent soon seemed almost impossible, so 
narrow, crooked, and rugged was the way, much 
of it up the winding course of a mountain rivulet, 
the overflow from the most important of the many 
springs. This water was crossed and recrossed 
until the ascent became very steep. 

One meets many picturesque girls — water- 
carriers — going to and returning from the fountains 
in the precipitous stone walls of the mountain. 

45 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

These sources of water are in alcoves forming 
deep recesses whose natural vaulted entrances 
are draped with dark juicy-stemmed vines, with 
green and succulent leaves and flowers always 
fair and fragrant. The sideways leading to 
the fountains are walled up with loose stones ; 
in the crevices are the dwelling-places of various 
little animals ; sprightly lizards, running and climb- 
ing from stone to stone, in occasional rays of 
sunlight display the changing tints of their coats 
of emerald, sapphire, jacinth, and maculation of 
saffron. 

A throng of girls en route for the fountains 
passed on the road. They were perfectly dignified 
and modest in their demeanor, yet coy and be- 
witching in their gestures, casting sly glances at 
our sober physiognomies and plainer costumes, as 
they stood at the fountains, filling their amphorae 
with water. We were conscious that it was our 
dress which excited their curiosity, for never a 
man in any of their tribes is so plainly clothed as 
we were ; no matter how poor or worn or soiled 
their attire, the men of Kabylia are always 
picturesque in their loose garments. 

As there are always many of these girls at the 

fountain, they aid each other to place on their 

backs the amphorae, which are carried by a very 

4 6 




Female Water-Carriei 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

ingenious device : a long scarf is thrown from 
behind the neck over the shoulders and crossed 
over the breast, thence it is passed down and 
around to the back of the waist, where a tie is so 
made that it forms a socket into which the oval 
cone point of the amphora is placed, while the 
handle or the neck of the vase is held back of 
the neck alternately by the right or left hand, 
changing as either arm is fatigued. 

Occasional villages, or groups of twelve, fifteen, 
or twenty-odd huts, rudely built of stone, in a 
measure barricaded the already difficult route ; 
yet we clambered onward and upward, the animals 
frequently passing over the very threshold stones 
of habitations, from which the amiable tenants 
would recede without anger, inspecting us curi- 
ously, and always — as is the custom of the country 
— giving a smiling welcome to the passing 
stranger. Their too numerous dogs, more de- 
monstrative and assiduous in their attentions, 
occasionally placed us in embarrassing and pre- 
carious situations as they almost ran beneath the 
donkeys' feet, seeking to escort us on our way in 
a path where there really was not room for 
donkeys, guides, drivers, and dogs ; in fact, so 
closely did they keep in the path that our guides 
were compelled to signify to them forcibly our 

47 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

entire willingness to dispense with their com- 
pany. 

Often, when really ascending, the rugged way 
was interrupted by little ravines cut by the spring 
water, into which the animals would descend ; 
their heads would go down, pulling the bridle into 
a direct line towards the centre of the earth, while 
the rider's legs and feet assumed a similar direc- 
tion in front of the donkey's ears, his head and 
the animal's tail pointing skyward. To remain 
tranquilly on a donkey's back while his nostrils 
are turned to the bowels of the earth and his 
heels to the zenith requires some power as an 
equilibrist, but such experiences enable one the 
better to keep his balance on less trying occasions. 

A BELLOUAN FUNERAL 

On reaching the summit the fatiguing journey 
was rewarded by an opportunity to witness on the 
mountain-top the curious ceremony of Mahom- 
etan prayers for the dead. Two score of mourn- 
ing friends, after patiently climbing, had just ar- 
rived at the sacred summit of Belloua with the 
remains of a brother whose soul had gone to the 
prophet. With tenderness they laid his lifeless 
form before the Marabout, — or reputed lineal 

descendant of a saint, — whom the authorities have 

4 8 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

set apart and ordained to perform this touching 
office. 

The Marabout prayed with them, and told them 
in consoling words, " The spirit of our brother hath 
quitted this earthly frame ; that which remains to 
us is but the forsaken, ruined tenement, which, ere 
it shall come again to Mahomet, shall resolve 
itself into dust and ashes. ' Ashhadu an la ilaha 
ill' Allah,' " etc. — " There is but one God, and 
Mahomet is His prophet." "To him he hath 
gone, which is far better. How great is God's 
mercy in having given us Mahomet to bring 
us nearer to Him ! Let us not forget Him. 
1 Allah il illahu ashhadu ana Muhammeda rrasulu 
'llah,'" etc. 

Each of those assembled inclined his head, and 
then his body, to the earth several times in the 
direction of the holy councillor, or Marabout, and 
to the Orient where Mecca is. They then pressed 
their closed hands alternately to their lips and to 
their foreheads, exchanging grips or conventional 
pressures of the hand. After lingering a reason- 
able time on the sacred spot, speaking with one an- 
other of the departed one and his virtues, at a given 
signal they moved in quiet groups a short distance 
to a ledge of rocks on the same Belloua summit, 
where others of their community were performing 

4 49 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

the functions delegated to them. On heavy 
wooden cross-beams they had hung up two large 
bullocks, which they were cutting into pieces to 
be shared equally with those who had attended the 
solemn rites just described. For in that village 
it is the custom for every man during life to make 
provision so that the meat of one or more sheep, 
or calves, or bullocks, according to his fortune, 
shall be cut up and distributed on that moun- 
tain-top, share and share alike, to those who 
attend his funeral. 

KABYLIAN SCENERY 

We now turned from the motley throng of 
picturesque Kabylians to observe the grandeur of 
the wild natural scenery on this pinnacle in the 
Atlas Mountains. It was powerfully impressive. 
Whichever way one turned the view was suddenly 
obscured by almost impenetrable walls of fog. 
The mist all about hung upon the gnarled trees, 
which there reach out their wind-shaken branches 
to within this Kabylian shrine ; and drops of 
moisture like tears fell from the withered twigs 
and leaves of the cork-trees, as though their 
sympathy prompted them thus to sprinkle the rest- 
ing-place of the departed. In every direction a 
turbulent sea of clouds was being driven from 

50 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

crag to crag past our stand-point by alternating 
gusts of wind, with occasional moments of calm. 
Long swelling waves of fog rushed onward to 
Tamghout Lalla Khadidja. To south and east, 
billows of mist bathed the rocks of our foothold. 
The lofty hills to the north occasionally showed 
themselves, evincing no compunction for obstruct- 
ing our view of Bougie and Setif; on our 
left was the village of Dra-el-Mizan, playing hide- 
and-seek among the clouds. 

On the precipices across the gorge to the west 
splashed masses of cloud in giant form ; but at 
moments during the lull of the driving wind, or 
on account of the suddenly changing direction 
of the masses of moisture, they were rent asunder, 
when kind nature treated us to most charming 
views of rocky heights, sunlit slopes, dark chasms, 
verdant valleys, hillside hamlets, groves of cork- 
trees, and streams of water plashing and falling 
among the hills. And softly, through the rifts in 
the clouds that obscured the hearing as well as the 
sight, came to our ears sounds of water gurgling 
from running brooks, the tinkling of bells in the 
herds of goats, and the melodious call from the 
minarets, harmonizing with the fleeting view and 
with the atmosphere of this last resting-place of 
man. 

5i 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

It would be incorrect to say that the panorama 
unrolled before us. Rather the vast veil was rent 
here and there, ever in a new direction, ever giving 
unlooked-for glimpses of nature, grandly severe, 
and of scenes gilded by the sunlight. But the 
views — ephemeral like life itself, alas ! — too soon 
vanished, though always to dissolve and blend 
into some other and newer beauty. And so, bit 
by bit, we peeped at Tamghout Lalla Khadidja in 
the Djurdjura range, the Col des Beni-Aicha, and 
many of the rounder knobs of the Atlas Moun- 
tains. 

Far beyond, in the extreme northwest, a city by 
the sea appeared ever and anon in vague glimpses ; 
and from its sunlit towers and minarets, in answer 
to our glances, seemed to come back the assurance, 
"There is but one God, and Mahomet is His 
prophet." Now that city, Algiers, in which we 
had occasionally lived for a short time, seemed 
like home to us as we caught hasty glimpses of 
its sun-gilded turrets, so much is the idea of 
home modified in the heart of the cosmopolite. 

EVENING AT THE VILLAGE MOSQUE 

Thus myriad objects met our vision and vanished, 
but of all this wondrous sight we scarce had 
taken our fill when the guide suggested that 

52 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

as night was coming apace it might be well to 
repair to scenes more congenial to that organ 
whose replenishment comforts the hungry, nour- 
ishes the soul and body, restores life, and fits man 
again to go abroad where he may anew study the 
wonders of the wide, wide world and the tribes 
that dwell therein. We descended in the evening 
without joining in the funeral feast, although in 
Kabylia all who assist by their presence at the 
last obsequies are entitled to partake. 

At twilight again came the cry of the muez- 
zin from the minaret of the mosque of Tizi Ouzou : 
" Allahu Akbar— Ashhadu an la ilaha ill* Allah— 
Ashhadu ana Muhammeda rrasulu 'llah" — " Oh, 
come ye, oh, come ye to the house of prayer, for 
the prophet hath declared it to be the gate of 
Paradise." 

As the guide wished to attend to his devotions 
before starting to-morrow on our intended journey 
to the interior of Kabylia, we availed ourselves 
of the opportunity, and, followed by a score of 
the fellahin and ragamuffins of the village, who 
proved more officious than the dogs on the ascent 
of Belloua, went with him to the outskirts of the 
village, where, on a natural terrace at the base of 
the mountain, was a little mosque, unpretentious, 
in keeping with the condition of the people. Its 

53 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

fountain-court was supplied by a brook from the 
mountain, whose rocks returned an echo of the 
muezzin's voice. Generally, the Moslems engage 
so devoutly in their prayers that they seem to 
see no one coming near them ; on this occa- 
sion quite a number of those assembled were re- 
clining on their straw mats looking listlessly 
around, until they saw strangers approaching, 
when they suddenly changed their attitudes and 
performed more earnestly their genuflections. 
This listlessness was in marked contrast to the 
general devout demeanor of the sons of Islam, 
whose faithful performance of their daily religious 
duties is worthy of all emulation, and sets an 
example to many Christians. 

. RAMADAN 
Dinner was now ready for the guests ; it 
was the season of Ramadan, — that is, the ninth 
month of the Mohammedan year, when the faith- 
ful Islamite neither eats, drinks, nor smokes from 
sunrise until sunset. It is said that there are Mos- 
lems so devout that they would even conscien- 
tiously extend the period of fasting, if it were 
possible. Some seem to endure the sacrifice 
without visible suffering, but men of nervous 
temperament evince great exhaustion. Scores 

54 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

oi fasters sit on the ground with cups of water 
all ready beside them and cigarettes rolled ready 
to light, awaiting the evening gun that announces 
the sunset. Almost before the report of the 
cannon has died away the fasters have drunk the 
water ; the more inveterate smokers, not waiting 
to quench their thirst, first light their cigarettes, 
even before the smoke of the cannon has blown 
over their heads. Though they fast strictly, 
they are hardly consistent, for from sunset until 
the break of day they eat, drink, and smoke, 
often to excess. 

The appearance of the new moon announces 
the commencement of the fast, and the eve of the 
twenty-seventh day is most revered because it 
commemorates the night on which it is believed 
that the Koran came down to Mahomet. 

There was nothing of Ramadan about the 
entertainment prepared for us that evening by 
our French hostess ; fond recollections of that 
meal cling to us yet. Nor should the timid, stut- 
tering, amiable fellow who served the repast at 
that auberge be forgotten. He was a treasure, 
that waiter, though an ungainly treasure ; few 
gems are without flaws, and this one, with all 
his imperfections, was still a treasure of char- 
acter. 

55 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

A GLIMPSE AT THE KABYLIANS AND 
THEIR COUNTRY 

After dinner, the landlord, who was very atten- 
tive, showed me the premises, including the accom- 
modation for the caravans, and then in the smoking 
divan, the best room in the house, introduced a 
French resident of Kabylia, with whom I had 
hours of interesting conversation, which added 
much to my information concerning Kabylia. 

The section of Northern Africa east of Morocco, 
formerly ancient Numidia, Massinissa, Massyli, 
Kabylia, and part of the Mauritanian Kingdoms, 
during the last six or seven centuries has been the 
scene of many struggles and conquests. Moors, 
Spaniards, Turks, and Sardinians in turn con- 
quered it, and derived tribute from it; in 1830 
the French acquired the northern district. 

The Kabylians are descended from the people 
of the territory mentioned above. They are 
Mohammedans, that religion having been in- 
stilled by their Arab conquerors in the seventh 
century. The Arabs called them Berbers, mean- 
ing a people whose language no other men could 
understand, and even to-day, though they all 
speak and worship in the Arab tongue, the Kaby- 
lians are so exclusive that they employ idiomatic 
conventional phrases when Arabs or other 

56 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

strangers are among them, from whom they wish 
to conceal what they are saying. Throughout the 
length and breadth of the mountain fastnesses 
of Kabylia these provincialisms are local, so that, 
although a stranger knowing the Arab language 
can always make known his wants and can traffic 
with them, to understand their language thoroughly 
is almost impossible. 

Though in external appearance — in their 
features and costumes, and to some extent in 
their mode of living — the Kabylians resemble the 
Algerian Arabs, they are really a distinct race 
and are unquestionably a peculiar people. 

It should be remembered that these people 
have been, and are still being, subjugated by the 
French, certainly much to the benefit and civiliza- 
tion of the Kabylians. The French wisely allow 
the adults to follow their vocations in the primitive 
way, but they are fitting the boys to be useful men. 
The girls as much as possible are taught and in- 
fluenced by kind, untiring Sisters of Charity. 

OFF TO SOUK-EL-ARBA 

The hours passed quickly that evening ; yet 

night, and with it rest after the fatigues of the 

day, was welcome. But all too early in the 

morning we were roused by a furious thunder- 

57 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

storm in the mountains that encircle Tizi Ouzou, 
— nature's own pyrotechnic display, with her own 
cannonading, as a good set-off to market-day or 
the fair at Souk-el-Arba, whither we were bound. 
Thunder piled upon thunder, peal upon peal, 
crashing as the electric explosion on one precipice 
was reverberated by the deeply fissured rocks of 
the many mountain-sides, until each in turn re- 
peated its awful assurance of an Infinite Majesty. 
And it did rain ! It seemed as though the clouds 
had said, " Let us convince visiting humanity 
that we have water, too, in Kabylia." And they 
convinced us, amply ; for such torrents came 
down that the large drops, uniting and striking the 
flood of water on the ground, rebounded vertically, 
forming shafts of water. My companion remarked 
that we had had abundance of water ; my impres- 
sion still is that we had a surfeit of it. But 
nature eventually seemed satisfied ; the volleys 
subsided, and quiet came again with the gray 
morning light. It was hardly necessary for our 
stuttering friend to knock upon the door and say, 
" C-c-c'est c-c-c-cin-cinque heures, m-m-m'sieur," 
for we were thoroughly awake. Leaving as sou- 
venirs for the natives the newspapers on which 
we had spread our clothes and toilet articles, we 
descended the ladder, to breakfast by candle-light. 

58 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

Then, with renewed kind wishes from our hosts, 
we started for Souk-el-Arba. 

After driving through the village, we soon came 
to the Sebaou River, where we had cause to re- 
joice that the government had completed the two 
iron bridges, for the torrential rain of the night 
before had caused the river to overflow its banks. 
The bridges shortened the distance by six miles ; 
before they were constructed an even longer 
detour was often needed in passing the swollen 
Sebaou. But, as in all undulating sandy countries, 
the water soon ran off that morning and the roads 
were in good condition ; in fact, cleaned up for 
the journey. 

One who has made many such expeditions 
discovers the different dispositions of both men 
and horses. When we were making a day's ex- 
cursion to Staoueli, for instance, the horses went 
willingly ; they were not driven, there was no 
whip, they simply wanted to go, and go they did. 
This morning all the go-ahead was in the driver. 
He was a terror to the horses ; the three faithful 
beasts quivered beneath the stinging lashes of his 
ready whip, and leaped forward as though sired 
by Pegasus. Yet after he had the horses well 
under way his tongue went more merrily than his 
whip-lash, so that by noon he had rattled off a 

59 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

mixture of Arabic and French, giving a history 
of much that was interesting concerning the entire 
route ; and the more animated he became with his 
story the better the horses fared, and by the time 
we took our relay at the village of Taza he became 
so engrossed in relating the folk-lore of the 
country that he let the horses do as they liked. 

The road over which we travelled mounted 
rapidly, the grade continuing for seventeen miles, 
at times over high rocks, often beside deep ravines, 
and we had constant views of snow-clad mountains 
interspersed with dark gorges. Nor was this the 
only interest, for the ethnological phase of our 
journey was fascinating. We encountered people 
of every rank in Kabylian life : the scale of 
society cannot be very varied or extensive. There 
are the very poor, the poor, the rich poor, the 
poor rich, and a few said to be rich. The repre- 
sentative of the class last named will possess two 
or three costumes, silver-mounted spurs with curb 
chains, an inlaid pipe, a Damascus blade, and three 
wives, — these last being enough to impoverish 
any man. 

Only sheiks, army officers, and those in author- 
ity are gorgeously arrayed, the multitude being 
clad in the ordinary bernouse, usually woven of a 

common wool, though the more fortunate possess 

60 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

those of fine white wool, which when clean are 
beautiful. This loose garment is supposed to be 
similar to those worn by Abraham, Isaac, and 
Jacob in ancient Syria. It has a hood which drapes 
the head, being bound thereon by a coarse cord 
of brown camel's hair ; it hangs from the shoulders 
in graceful plaits to the ankles, while the folds that 
cover the breast are sometimes caught in at the 
waist by a band varying in quality according to 
the taste or fortune of the wearer. The costume 
of the women resembles that of Algerian women, 
except that the greater freedom accorded to 
Kabylian females is evident from the absence of 
those black, or white, appendages which mask the 
faces of the Arab women in other parts of the 
North and East. The Kabylian women do not 
cover their faces with gauze. They regard us 
curiously, but modestly and calmly ; nor do they 
feel ashamed if we return their gaze of inspec- 
tion. The children also manifest much curiosity, 
peeping out from behind all imaginable hiding- 
places. 

We passed through the village of Tamazirt, 
which is interesting with its school of industrial 
arts and trades, where the Kabylian boys are 
being trained to work in iron, steel, and brass in 
the shops generously erected by the government. 

61 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

The boys are apt at the work and many have 
already become skilled mechanics. 

As we slowly ascended a section of the road, 
cut in the rocks, we overtook some eight or 
nine young girls, of from sixteen to eighteen 
years of age, who had just filled their water 
amphorae at a spring in a fissure among the rocks. 
They had left the grotto and were walking leisurely, 
bending forward with the weight of their burdens, 
until they saw our wagon, when — being evidently 
less accustomed to see strangers than were those 
in the villages below — they immediately scampered 
up the rocky path leading to the ledge on which 
their village was perched. They were so anx- 
ious to get out of the way that, though they 
were laden with the amphorae, they sprang so 
nimbly from point to point that the water splashed 
out on their backs. As soon as they reached 
the first mud walls of their hamlet, about forty 
feet above, they stopped short and, hiding them- 
selves partially behind low barricades, looked 
down upon us inquiringly, laughing merrily. 
From where we were we could hear their voices 
as they made remarks to one another about our 
appearance. Many of the black children came 
lower down the rocks and fearlessly scanned the 

pale complexions, while older heads, men and 

62 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

women, stood under a clump of cork-trees looking 
at the passing strangers. 

These trees are worthy of notice as being of 
great commercial importance. After the tree has 
reached maturity (fifteen or sixteen years of age) 
the natives begin to remove the bark, which of not 
of the best quality, however, until the tree has 
attained its twentieth year. After that the bark 
is removed in July and August once every ten 
years, the trees surviving the operation for about 
a century. The bark of the first and second 
harvests is burned to supply its fine black color to 
that branch of industry which produces material 
for staining or painting wood. The trees are not 
ruthlessly stripped, the bark being taken off in 
sections. 

The bark of several trees in Kabylia is impor- 
tant for tanning skins of animals, but that from 
the cork-tree is commercially the most valuable. 
This bark is used in corking the wines of North- 
ern Africa. In response to a demand for wines 
suited to all tastes and adapted to every climate, 
the production during the last fifty years has 
become so enormous that millions of corks are 
needed for the trade. 

Farther on, we passed the village of Azouza, 
on the greensward about which were primitive 

$3 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

shepherds, some sleeping resignedly while their 
dogs attended to the herds of goats and sheep, 
others consoling themselves and the goats with 
plaintive strains upon their double reed-pipes. 

Still ascending precipitously, we passed many 
pedestrians both ascending and descending, evi- 
dently intent upon some central attraction, and, 
finally, having reached the top of another steep 
hill, we saw before us the wonderful living pano- 
rama of the market of Souk-el-Arba. 

SOUK-EL-ARBA 
Just outside the town, now called " Fort Na- 
tional," which is surrounded by a wall fourteen 
feet high, nature has made within the hills a de- 
pression of irregular elliptical form, as though 
that amphitheatre had been especially created for 
the fair whose meetings are held on its hill-sides, 
which are shaded by friendly trees. The de- 
clivities are modified by ledges or terraces which 
not only break the descent, but serve as good 
stands for the booths and stalls. We hastened 
to join the heterogeneous throng, multiform in 
its types of humanity, motley in its masses of 
unique costume, and busy, in that every man has 
something to do, either in seeking the profits of 
trade, or perhaps only in standing by and watch- 

6 4 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

ing the dickering between buyer and seller, oc- 
casionally sliding in some suggestions. 

Under open tents with gray and brown stripes, 
or sheets of coarse camel' s-hair cloth, several arti- 
sans display the Kabylian jewelry, always in silver : 
head-dresses, forehead pieces, necklaces, ear- and 
finger-rings, pins similar to Roman fibulae, compli- 
cated breastplates, arm-bands, bracelets, spoons, 
and knives, all inlaid, enamelled, or decorated 
with pieces of coral. The blades and handles of 
the knives are inlaid with ornamentation in fine 
lines of brass ; this work is unique and so en- 
tirely unlike that of any other people that it 
forms an interesting contrast when compared 
with the productions of more civilized nations. 
Some of the tribes make very curious bronze and 
silver jugs, with grotesque animal decorations, to 
which is generally added in raised letters some 
quotation from the Koran. 

Scattered about are gray-green olive-trees, 
whose branches have given shelter in centuries 
gone by to other generations of traders ; many 
of these olive-trees are seven hundred years old. 
Some of them now give their umbrage to mer- 
chants in wooden utensils, more or less colored, 
lacquered, and otherwise ornamented. A grand 
old tree with denser foliage, better inviting to 
5 65 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

repose, keeps off the noonday rays from drowsy 
smokers of nargilehs, some sleeping sweetly, 
others heavily, for the entrancing hasheesh in 
their smouldering pipes has deepened their dreams. 

Where several of these monarch olives stand 
firmly on the slope, a group together, the dealers 
in animal skins have stretched from tree to tree 
the cords on which their merchandise is hung for 
sale. Here as we come up an infidel stranger and 
a Kabylian are bartering over a dozen goat-skins ; 
one can with difficulty approach and see the 
quality of the skins, because of the crowd of 
idlers whose curiosity holds them there keeping 
all others out of the shade. And, as is their 
custom, each idler volunteers his opinion and ad- 
vice, sometimes in the interest of the seller and 
sometimes in favor of the buyer. 

This custom is exceedingly annoying to a 
European. I myself have often been exasperated 
almost to the point of driving off the interferers. 
Time after time I have almost accomplished a 
transaction with an antiquary, securing upon ad- 
vantageous terms good specimens for my Uni- 
versity collection, when some busybody would 
drop in with his advice, and the merchant would 
break off all negotiations, unless I would consent 
to pay the higher price suggested by the lounger. 

66 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

The maxim of the Kabylians — in fact, of all Ori- 
entals — is that dickering is the soul of traffic. 
They spread out their wares on the ground, 
where others offer the same commodities, and 
practise dickering, because it holds out the great- 
est promise of profit to either side, seller or 
buyer. Time is a commodity whose value is 
slightly estimated, and two hours are frequently 
spent in bargaining over the sale of a kufieyah,* 
or an old flintlock whose stock and breech are 
ornamented with inlaid brass. 

On a ledge beneath the brow of the southern 
slope near the entrance to the fair, where all that 
walk must pass, are huddled together the shoe- 
makers and dealers ; though these, after all, make 
no shoes, only slippers — red, green, and yellow 
— for such of the fellahin that can afford them or 
have learned to wear them ; for, strange to relate, 
the ancient Kabylian custom, still much in vogue, 
is to wrap the feet in cloths and bind them over 
with bands of plaited camel's hair. Near by are 
those who make boots, — showy high boots, quite 
harlequin, of sunflower-yellow, with pointed toes, 
red legs, and green or blue morocco bands at the 
tops ; spurs are attached to these boots with a 

* A kerchief used on the turban or on the shoulders. 
67 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

silver curb-chain passing over the instep for an 
effendi, sheik, or military officer, any one of whom 
makes a fine display thus booted, in contrast with 
the fine white camel' s-hair cloth divided skirts or 
pantaloons which rest gracefully within the tops 
of the boots. 

Thus all the guilds have their individual or trade 
stations in the Souk-el-Arba : makers of fez, tar- 
bouch, and turban, harness and horse-trappings ; 
there are only a few saddlers, for the Kabylians 
are not prone to sit astride an animal's back. 

Those who have the more delicate goods, such 
as haiks, bernouses, and gandouras, costumes of 
the country, are to be found in tents. Scattered 
everywhere are those who sell grain, oil, honey, 
leather, cattle, asses, mules, pottery, water-sacks, 
— made by sewing up the body skins of calves, the 
neck serving for the pouring out of the water, — 
and others beyond enumeration. Many of these 
tradesmen are accommodated under rudely con- 
structed arbors, made by driving long sticks into 
the ground, the frame being thatched with branches 
and leaves. 

Numerous are the primitive coffee merchants, 
whose whole stock in trade consists of a hempen 
sack of charcoal, a water-jug, a few cans, a bronze 
tray with little metallic cups, a bag of roasted 

68 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

coffee, and a coffee-mill. Such a man is literally 
an itinerant merchant, moving about on the hill- 
sides of the fair and quickly setting up his cafe 
wherever he finds a prospect of selling his bever- 
age. There he kindles a fire on the ground and 
proceeds to ply his vocation. In one of his cans 
he makes a paste of coffee-grounds, in such quan- 
tity as his prospective business may warrant ; it 
is then mixed with more water, poured into little 
pots with long metallic handles, and placed over 
the coals for a few minutes only. After being 
stirred, it is poured out, grounds and all, into 
cups about the size of chicken's eggs. This 
whole performance is amusing to one accus- 
tomed to drink only a decoction of the roasted 
bean. The men who squat on the ground dream- 
ily sipping the coffee, and swallowing it along 
with the smoke from their chibouques, contribute 
the most interesting feature to the picture. They 
lounge, half sitting, half reclining, leaning on 
their elbows for hours together, dreaming away 
life, listlessly oblivious to the pleasures of energy, 
industry, or the cultivation of the mind. 

Those who have listened from St. Elmo or San 
Martino to the clang of the surging Neapolitan 
throng, or who from the Acropolis have heard the 

sweeter tones of modern Greek, rising even at 

6 9 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

this day from the theatre of Dionysius on the 
Athenian plain, would be impressed with the 
subdued, plaintive, guttural strain coming up from 
that Kabylian assemblage, and pervading the 
resonant air like the muffled chorus of an ora- 
torio. It emanates from men emotional in their 
speech, gesticulators, more impassioned in their 
actions than in their tones. 

Their manner is peculiar to the race : with the 
motions of their heads, hands, arms, and feet they 
express feelings of surprise, dislike, approval, 
denial, satisfaction, hunger, satiety, solicitude, 
indifference. In a group of traders before a tent 
you may see one, Zerack, who is disappointed at 
not having made a purchase of a goat, throwing 
his arms about and with the fingers of his right 
and left hands showing how he had offered sev- 
enteen francs ; and when he comes to relate that 
the hard-hearted trader had not relented, but had 
said he would rather let the goat graze on snow- 
covered rocks, Zerack vigorously pulls his hair 
and passes the palm of his right hand quickly 
over the left, signifying by that motion that he 
has had enough of that man. 

The common custom in a gathering of Kaby- 

lians is for many of them to be speaking at the 

same time ; so that, to those not conversant with 

70 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

their language, a general conversation in Souk-el- 
Arba might lead to the inference that the Kaby- 
lians may after all be the lineal descendants of 
those who built the tower of Babel. 

In the crowd are many remarkable physiog- 
nomies, especially those of the old Kabylians who 
in times of invasion intrenched themselves and 
their families in their strongholds in the crags of 
almost inaccessible mountain rocks. Haughty, 
sullen men these are, who even now fraternize 
only with those whom they know to be of their 
caste and tribes. 

Near by the Souk-el- Arba are a few scattered 
huts whose low roofs afford a closer view of their 
heavy terra-cotta tiles. From their great abun- 
dance one might remark that in Kabylia they have 
a generous crop of tiles. These huts only afford 
temporary shelter for those who weekly arrange 
the premises for the celebrated Wednesday 
market-day. 

FAKIRS AND FORTUNE-TELLERS 

The Kabylian villages are built on the rugged 
crests of rocks, because such positions serve as 
strongholds in case of invasion, and because all 
the available soil must be utilized for the cultiva- 
tion of crops. From these villages those who 

71 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

make their livelihood by entertaining others — for- 
tune-tellers, jugglers, etc. — come down and con- 
gregate in the vicinity of the approach to the 
fair. 

At the highest point among the red tiles of these 
hamlets stands the village mosque, from whose 
roof rises a minaret with stone gallery, the white 
tower being crowned with green and brown tiles, 
these forms and colors heightening the pictu- 
resqueness of the scene. 

Though women do not frequent the interior of 
the fair, there are many booths for side hangers- 
on where women may be seen. Their garments 
are very simple, little more than a white — or some- 
times partly blue — muslin haik, similar to the dress 
of an ancient Roman, and, like it, fastened on the 
breast near the left shoulder by some of the many 
Kabylian silver brooches. The unattractiveness 
of this costume is compensated for by the mass of 
silver jewelry, rings, ear-rings, head-bands, breast- 
pieces, bracelets, ankle-bands and ankle-bracelets 
they wear. Their heads are covered with ker- 
chiefs in black and yellow or black and red. 
Many young girls are married, some even at 
twelve years of age ; others at thirteen and four- 
teen years are mothers with their children in their 

arms. Most of them are tattooed : the unmarried 

72 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

have an ornamental cross on the chin, while those 
who are married have a similar cross on the upper 
lip or between the eyes. 

Kabylian women fortune-tellers are here also. 
They decide many questions for clients who come 
oftentimes from within the upper valleys of the 
Atlas mountains to consult these soothsayers 
ere they venture to undertake some enterprise. 
They decide whether the conditions promise to be 
prosperous for the enterprise ; whether a girl shall 
accept her wooer, who has never seen her ; whether 
a stranger from the interior is bewitched, or 
whether his or her spirit is inimical to the tribe in 
which he is visiting ; whether a man shall sell his 
heifer or shall keep it until it put on the stature 
and comeliness of a cow. Many other problems 
of life are solved by these seers. 

With very wise looks one of these women plucks 
the downy feathers from a white chicken, tearing 
them into fragments. After an incantation she 
casts the shreds into the air, with both hands up- 
lifted over two vessels placed before her, one 
containing salt water, the other colored with 
chicken's blood ; should a major part of the down 
fall into the red fluid the omen is favorable. This 
result is generally desired by the cunning sor- 
ceress. 

73 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

ITINERANT AISSOUAI 

At dusk may also be seen fanatic performances 
by itinerant Aissouai ; these performances are 
somewhat similar to those of the dervishes, but 
are far more sensational. A company of five or 
six Aissouai choose a spot and are soon sur- 
rounded by a curious multitude, for those who 
are assiduous in the pursuit of money during 
business hours on the fair-grounds are just as 
intent upon pleasure when the time for recreation 
comes. Drums are beaten until one of the 
performers (for such they should be called) 
becomes inspired, rushing frantically about shriek- 
ing and dancing, and assuming every uncomfort- 
able posture possible to a contortionist. Then 
they brand themselves with hot irons, press out 
their eyeballs, swallow all imaginable reptiles and 
such fragments of hard material as only ostriches 
have been known to employ to assist digestion. 
Only when exhaustion compels them do they 
close the performance. 

Our old friends, the tam-tam men, are here, 
tam-tamming vigorously. And through the rum- 
bling din and clatter come monotonous whining 
strains, which is all they know of singing or songs. 
But to the dreaming multitude it is opera, and 
when some vigorous whiner gives forth a pro- 

74 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

longed shriller intonation, or hums a soothing lul- 
laby, the crowd expresses its appreciation by cry- 
ing, " Tieeb ; tieeb kateer" — " Beautiful ; very 

beautiful." 

SNAKE-CHARMERS 

Here too are snake-charmers, who make their 
reptiles stand up and bow, and put out and draw 
in their fangs. And the magician, stooping to 
the ground, shows his wonderful dove, twisting 
off its head without any compunction, for he 
knows full well what to do with it ; and before 
the lookers-on have fully expressed their sym- 
pathy for the gentle beheaded, the fakir places 
the head under the wing of the quivering bird, 
passes his hand gently over it, and lo, there are 
two doves to comfort one another, while the tears 
of the spectators are dried. New-comers join 
the throng, just in time to see both the birds 
decapitated, but the two heads are placed under 
the wings, that swarthy magic hand completes its 
spell, and the doves look complacently around, 
saying, "Kounna fie Zouche ;* delouakte rana fie 
arba" — "We were two ; now we are four." They 
strut about on the ground, picking up the seeds 
their master has thrown down for their reward, 

* In Oriental Arabic it would be ' ' etneen. " " Zouche' ' is the 
Arabic of the desert. 

75 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

while he makes little shrubs and trees to grow 
and flowers to blossom before the eyes of the 
tam-tammers, who have halted in their vocation 
to feast their wondering gaze on his magic, and 
as their admiration is that of professionals, the 
fakir appreciates it. 

THE STORY-TELLER 
All fantasias are as chaff beside the charms of 
the story-teller, who absorbs everybody's atten- 
tion, and gives his audience something to take 
back to their hamlets in the wilderness. The 
story-teller commands the largest audiences, for 
he knows how to entertain the imagination by the 
most grotesquely impossible incidents. The tales 
of the ''Arabian Nights" form a good specimen 
of part of the stock in trade of these Anatireh, 
though as popular superstition considers them 
to be unlucky, they invent their own stories, 
weaving in facts from the history of the Sultan 
Ez-Zahir-Bebars, of the thirteenth century in 
Egypt, drawing copiously from the history of 
Abu-Zed and of Antar, a Bedouin demigod. 
These stories reach English eyes and ears only 
in a thoroughly expurgated form, for many of 
them are grossly immoral, — so much so, that it 

would be almost impossible to write anything 

76 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

that could faithfully exemplify the tales related 
by these mountebank romancers. Furthermore, 
the numerous dialects of Kabylic render it al- 
most impossible to give verbatim one of these 
strange stories. 

THE ENCHANTER COMES 
The story-teller must be coming, for the Ka- 
bylians are falling into their places on the ground, 
very much in the order in which the devout 
arrange themselves in the mosque. Gradually 
yet quickly all available space is occupied, the 
audience sitting in rows on either side and in 
front of the speaker, occupying three sides of a 
hollow square, which bears the impress of his 
strides. For he does not entertain his audience 
by tamely reciting, but by both speech and 
action. 

No bell or trumpet announces the enchanter. 
The expectant hearers anticipate his coming, 
crossing their legs at ease, and lighting their 
chibouques, when midst their curling smoke 
Aleca, the story-teller, stands forth as an appari- 
tion, passing a mandil (handkerchief) — for he is 
warm — over his temples ; but not to brush away 
his hair, for his head, like those of his brethren, 
is shorn, save the lock reserved for the day when 

77 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

all that sleep in the faith shall be borne on high by 
the prophet's own hand. 

Aleca scans his audience, boys and men, for a 
few moments, as though to divine their wishes, 
and to decide how he shall entertain them ; then 
he recites his stirring narrative with the power 
and frenzy of an eloquent Arab. 

The boys of the assemblage are to be the men 
of another generation, and it is the ambition of 
many of them to prepare themselves for filling 
some day the honored position of story-teller. 
They listen attentively, studying his every gesture, 
and at play they rehearse among themselves, 
striving to imitate him as closely as possible ; for 
the man is an actor, an impersonator of every 
character in his narrative. Even we foreigners 
find him interesting, for though we may not en- 
tirely understand his language, we do compre- 
hend his gestures. Willingly would we linger 
that we might some day relate a few of his stories 
at home. 

EN ROUTE FOR THE SANDS 
Other and more important work — the search 
for evidences of superstition — calls us to the 
sands of Sahara, so we turn our backs upon the 

romance and on Souk-el-Arba, returning to 

78 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

Menerville Junction ; our route thence lies 
through Beni-Mancour to the east and south. 

The evidences of superstition in Northern 
Africa are exemplified by the amulets, talis- 
mans, and other objects, placed on the houses 
or worn and used by the nomadic and resident 
tribes of the villages and towns of the desert of 
Sahara. 

To do justice to some of the features of this 
subject, to give to Lambessa, Thimgad, El Kan- 
tara, Biskra, M'Raier, Touggourt, Nezla, Sidi 
Rachid, Meggerine, the Dunes of El Oued, 
Temacin, and the temporary resting-places of 
the Bedouins, the notice they merit is beyond 
our power, as each might well fill many pages. 
So we shall not do more than glance at the 
people and the emblems of their superstitions. 

In these days of railways, when English enter- 
prise is constructing an iron road from Cairo to 
Omdurman, and is projecting its extension to 
Cape Town, five thousand miles to the south, it 
is not astonishing that the French are prospecting 
a like service in their African possessions. Their 
railway at present extends from Algiers to Beni- 
Mancour, thence to Setif, to El-Guera, through 
the salt lakes to Batna, to El Kantara, and is 
completed as far as Biskra. 

79 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

LAMBESSA AND THIMGAD 
From Batna one can in a day visit the ruins of 
ancient Lambessa, a Roman city, in which exca- 
vations have unearthed interesting buildings and 
other relics. The Praetorium, the most imposing 
building, has been partially restored and serves 
as a Museum for a collection of statues and 
other objects of antiquity which have been found 
in the debris of the old city, though the best 
material has been removed to France and is in 
the Museum of the Louvre at Paris. The finest 
statue at Lambessa is one of the beloved physician 
^Esculapius. 

About a mile to the southeast stands a great 
part of an arch of Septimus Severus. Near by 
are the remains of the Forum, a column con- 
structed by Marcus Aurelius, the Temple of 
Jupiter, and remarkable public latrines, whose 
seats in white marble, artistically finished, were 
arranged in a semi-circle, the floor before them 
being decorated with fine mosaics representing 
animals. 

Twenty-three miles to the south is the recently 
excavated Roman city of Thimgad, with its spa- 
cious streets, theatre, forum, market, shops, and 

sumptuous public baths with almost all the con- 

80 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

veniences common to the present day. The 
sewers of massive stone are still in perfect 
preservation. Openings carefully constructed 
at intervals in the centre of the streets, paved 
with irregular flag-stones, communicate with the 
sewers. These vents are closed with well-chis- 
elled round stones, which are sufficiently perfo- 
rated to allow the water to pass. In the principal 
paved streets are deep ruts, worn by the chariot 
wheels. Among these ruins one might indeed 
almost fancy himself in Pompeii. 

And like Pompeii, Thimgad seems to have 
been laid out as was the custom of the 'Romans, 
who, when they had chosen the site of a city, 
traced two lines at right angles to each other, one 
from north to south, and the other from east to 
west. These were called Cardo Maximus, and 
Decumanus Maximus, and became the principal 
streets of the city ; the site at this point of inter- 
section was usually selected for the Forum. 

The Forum at Thimgad has recently been 
unearthed. Numerous monuments and pedestals, 
with a great variety of inscriptions, are scattered 
through it. Adjoining the Forum were shops, 
and a neighboring building has been identified as 
a Temple of Victory. Traces of fastenings for 
doors are found everywhere. The north facade 

6 81 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

of the Decumanus M? :imus had a colonnade 
its entire length, where the inhabitants prom- 
enaded when at leisure, and from which they 
must have enjoyed one of the most charming 
views imaginable. 

In another quarter of the city were numerous 
private residences, and sufficient indications are 
found in these ruins to give an idea of the man- 
ner in which the inhabitants lived in this Roman 
city of the third century. No evidences of 
Christian worship are found, nor is there an altar 
to the living God, although Thimgad flourished 
long after the coming of our Saviour and more 
than two centuries after His religion had been 
promulgated. Everywhere are the relics of idol- 
atry, places of animal sacrifice, altars to the un- 
known gods, statues of the various mythological 
deities of the age, of whom ^Esculapius and 
Telesphorus, the god of convalescence, were ap- 
parently the most revered. 

Among the debris of the private residences 
are broken and time-worn Lares and Penates, 
interesting relics of the superstition which led 
the people of Thimgad to put their trust in those 
toy-like talismans, which they reverently guarded 
in their apartments, even honoring them with 

ever-burning fire. Few enterprises of impor- 

82 




V---'**t\?V$fr£ 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

tance were undertaken until the revered influence 
and protection of these objects of superstitious 
veneration had been implored. The Lares rep- 
resented the spirits of the ancestors of each 
family, which in a measure accounts for the hope 
that they should guard and protect their descend- 
ants ; while the Penates were supposed to have a 
supervision over the store of provisions and the 
kitchen of the household. 

There are several tribunes, from which it is 
supposed orations were made ; some of the 
pedestals bear the names of Antoninus Pius and 
Caracalla ; also inscriptions intended to perpetu- 
ate the memory of senators and others of local 
importance. Indications of national games are 
rudely engraved on the floors. 

A passage from the Forum gives access to the 
theatre, which was built on the side of a hill ; it is 
larger than that at Pompeii, and would accommo- 
date four thousand people. Near the theatre are 
thermae, or public baths, the mosaic floors of 
which are perfectly preserved. The stone pipes 
which conveyed the water from a spring two 
kilometres distant are still in place. Statuary 
and inscriptions fix the date about the end of the 
second century. 

Outside of the Arch of Triumph, in the Market 

83 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

Place, is an edifice founded in the third century 
by a Roman lady, a statue of whom, with a 
dedicatory inscription on the pedestal, was 
recently found entirely uninjured. 

THE GATE OF THE DESERT 
Leaving Thimgad, we proceed on our journey. 
From Batna the railway continues to El Kantara, 
a charming village nestled in the rocks of the 
natural gate of the Desert of Sahara, a pictu- 
resque flume between the rugged forms of the 
barren tract on the north, and the great expanse 
of golden sand beyond, where, with patient labor, 
man has created oases, on which are groves of 
date-palms, fragrant shrubs, and luscious fruit- 
trees, an enchanting scene which bursts on the 
vision of travellers as they emerge from the 
gorge of El Kantara in going south. From El 
Kantara, after passing numerous fertile oases, 
the railway finally extends as far south as Biskra ; 
and a powerful company has already proposed to 
the French government to construct a further 
road passing through many districts, Saada, Bir 
Djefair, Chegga, Setil, M'Raier, Sidi-Khetil, 
Ourlana, Tamerna Kedima, Touggourt, El 
Hadjira, and even as far south as Ngouca and 
Ouargla, but the company has demanded such 

8 4 




El-Kantara, Mountain Sources of Water. 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

concessions of territory, with hot springs and 
other valuable property, that no charter has been 
granted. 

And, although we fully appreciate the great 
importance of railways, we must say that they 
rob the country through which they pass of 
ethnological interest for students. The iron rails 
and their attendants bring with them a taste for 
practical, plain European garments, and pictu- 
resque costumes, curious implements, and primi- 
tive habits are gradually laid aside. With this 
conviction we will leave progress behind, and go 
east, west, and south, into the Desert of Sahara, 
where, in many cases, we shall mingle with men 
who have never heard the whistle of the locomo- 
tive, or seen the iron way, and who, in fact, 
possess iron only in the form of stilettos, and the 
hammers and anvils with which they form them. 

AMULETS AND TALISMANS 
With our ideas of the importance of religion, 
we view with significance the fact that no nation 
or tribe has been found without some creed or 
form of religion, whether it be the supplication 
or adoration of some deity, or merely the super- 
stitious trust in objects which we denominate amu- 
lets or talismans. An amulet is a natural object, 

85 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

either vegetable, such as the horse-chestnut, 
certain hard beans, and so on ; or mineral, as 
hematite, maculated agate, agalmatolite (Chinese 
figure-stone, of which sixty-four specimens may- 
be seen in my collection in the Museum of 
the University of Pennsylvania,) ; or some metal, 
such as gold, silver, iron, or copper. Talismans, 
on the other hand, are formed by man, generally 
of metal, with an inscription, or little cases of 
leather, in which are placed prayers and cabalistic 
words. 

Specimens of such are found in the Abraxas 
tokens or talismans, made nineteen centuries ago 
by the Gnostics. They borrowed and appro- 
priated from the Egyptians, Hebrews, Persians, 
and other nations the chimeras and innumerable 
other characters and figures with which they had 
for centuries charged their engraved gems ; these 
they adopted and used as emblems of deity and 
of hope in the future life. Many of their talis- 
mans contain on the obverse a Roman, or Greek, 
or Egyptian subject, — such as Jupiter, Serapis, 
Isis, Horus, Phcebus, Pallas, Chnubis, and so on, 
— while on the reverse is found the purely mystic 
Abraxas inscription. The talismans of the deni- 
zens of the desert, who are more or less 
Mahometan, contain generally only the religious 

86 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

sentiments and tenets of Mahomet, or reminders 
of legends concerning the life of the prophet. 
Of these legends they have many, such as the 
protection of Mahomet's head by the miraculous 
intervention of a great flock of birds which 
hovered in the air between the sun and the 
sacred form of their revered mediator. But the 
legend of the hand of Fatma seems to have 
given artisans in brass, copper, and silver the 
most constant occupation during several cen- 
turies. The legend says that Mahomet found it 
difficult at times to control the angry passions of 
his followers, and that on one occasion the dis- 
content of his hosts was so great that they rose 
in rebellion, approaching his tent with menacing 
gestures and cries. But Fatma, his favorite wife, 
seeing the danger, stepped forth ; and, stretching 
forth her hand, she earnestly addressed the 
multitude : " What ! would you attack the 
prophet of God ! would you incur the Father's 
wrath !" The mob stood spell-bound, wavered, 
and then quietly retired, overawed. From that 
day and with that incident in memory, the hand 
of Fatma has always been a favorite talisman, 
and so it is that the artisans sitting on the ground 
in their hovels, with their wooden anvils between 
their knees, are constantly busy forming the 

87 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

hand of Fatma. On the door or front wall of 
many houses, the occupants of which cannot 
afford the expense of the metallic talisman, a 
painter makes an imprint of his hand smeared 
with reddish-brown paint. Rudely painted hands 
are found on the lintels of some of the doors at 
" Old Biskra," the ancient Ad Piscinam, the 
Roman origin of which is attested by its blocks 
of stone and high columns. Objects which have 
long served their owners in desert journeys, such 
as the finger-shaped ornamented green stones on 
which men sharpen their knives to cut the tent 
pins, come to be regarded as amulets where their 
owners have had success, and as such are con- 
stantly worn. 

The knowledge of the supposed virtues of the 
various amulets and talismans is not intuitive. 
The people obtain these objects from their 
priests, marabouts, and astrologers, whose tradi- 
tions and knowledge have been handed down 
from generation to generation, from the time of 
Pliny, in the middle of the first century. Pliny 
created a code or pharmacopoeia of amulets, 
prescribing a variety of stones for the cure of as 
many diseases, for protection against accidents, 
for defence against evil spirits ; and his suc- 
cessors are even now discoursing upon the 

88 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

various materials and elements calculated to 
protect from accident and disease, to ward off 
the attacks of the devil and his evil spirits, and to 
counteract the influence of what is known among 
all Oriental and African nations as " the evil 
eye." 

The Gnostics before the time of Christ went to 
their mentors, or priests, reciting their fears and 
necessities, and obtained from them cabalistic 
engraved tokens on hematite, serpentine, and 
other stones ; and all the tribes I have visited in 
the Sahara pursue the same course. And all 
these people, men, women, and children, again 
like the Gnostics, once in possession of their 
cabalistic tokens, go to their daily pursuits of 
life with such confidence in their talismans that 
they fear neither disease, accident, nor the devil. 

These people are of many classes : those resi- 
dent in oases, who plant, cultivate, and sell dates ; 
the Nomads, itinerant tribesmen ; merchants from 
Timbuctoo ; and a number of tribes from the 
vicinity of Ouargla. They regard the marabouts 
with sacred respect, if not with adoration. It is 
an interesting fact that, as many of these mentors 
are astrologers, they inculcate a belief in stars 
and in constellations. There are certain fossils 
which are a conglomeration of little stars, and 

8 9 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

specimens of these are eagerly sought for as 
amulets, being usually bound or mounted in 
silver frames, with a ring for attachment to the 
neck. (See my collection in the Museum of the 
University of Pennsylvania.) 

TALISMANS FOR ANIMALS 
Nor do they think only of themselves, — their 
beasts of burden, their camels, their milk-giving 
goats, are also protected by small leather 
pouches, in which are enclosed sacred or 
cabalistic words, so attached to the animals by a 
coarse leather band, that they are not likely to be 
lost while their wearers are grazing on the sage 
and other sparse growth of the desert. 

CAMEL RACES 

It may be seen from the curious objects in my 

collection made in that country, that I have 

generally been fortunate, but I have not always 

been so successful, as, for instance, in efforts to 

obtain the talisman of a camel which had won 

several races. Before daylight one morning we 

drove out to the village of Cora, on the M'Raier 

route to the south of Biskra, where we awaited 

the result of the annual camel race. The camels 

had started some thirty-six hours before, from 

9 o 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

Touggourt. A little while after we had halted 
we espied on the southern horizon two or three 
specks, evidently moving towards us, and twenty- 
minutes later the leading camel passed us, far in 
advance of the others, becoming the winner of 
the first and largest prize. We immediately 
whipped up our mules, which were already 
turned in the direction of the goal, to follow the 
winner. 

The camel did not seem to be going very 
rapidly when he passed us, but we soon found 
that we were mistaken, for despite the efforts of 
our driver he distanced us, and we barely arrived 
in time to see his rider dismount at the winning- 
post. On the neck of the winner, a handsome 
light-colored camel, hung a leather-bound talis- 
man, and I immediately sent my Arab servant to 
purchase it if possible. But the camel driver an- 
swered, " This is the sixth year that this talisman 
has won the race for me, and no money will tempt 
me to part with it" I made every effort through 
his personal friends during two or three days, and 
just as I thought I was about to succeed by 
tempting him with money, his woman appeared, 
and would not for a moment allow him to risk the 
consequences. The woman was right, perhaps, 
but I wished her out of the way. This was fre- 

91 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

quently my experience when dickering with men 
who needed money, and who might otherwise 
have yielded. 

Camels appear to delight in the excitement of 
racing ; it is about the only amusement they ever 
enjoy. These faithful, laborious animals begin 
their daily occupation very early in life, and know 
very little rest. Even when young they must 
follow the caravan from morning to night, though 
sometimes a youngster a day or two old is roped 
up in a basket and carried on its mother's back, 
— an interesting subject for an artist. 

Among these people of the desert there evi- 
dently prevails a belief that the spirit or soul 
(call it what you will) of a faithful animal on its 
death has only gone before, that these voiceless 
companions await a reunion in the mysterious 
beyond, for one constantly sees skulls or other 
bones of such beasts fastened on the corner 
walls or over the entrances of their hovels of 
baked mud. The skulls most frequently thus 
attached to the walls of every hamlet in the oasis, 
are those of favorite camels, and of goats and 
jackals. It is said that the skulls of the jackals 
are placed on the walls as a warning to that 
predatory prowler of the night, so we must sup- 
pose that the jackals recognize the bones as 

92 




. 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

those of their species that have been entrapped, 
and that they keep out of the way, for fear of a 

like fate. 

THE DESERT 

We are now about to penetrate into the actual 
Desert of Sahara. We do not remain long in 
modern Biskra ; it is well known that this city can 
be reached by rail. Its newly acquired civilization 
will account for our going farther south in search 
of more primitive men and manners. 

Leaving Biskra, with its beautiful gardens, 
bazaars, etc., long before the break of day, we 
proceeded with mules and horses, six in all, on 
our way through the Desert of Sahara, to visit 
numerous points in the south, already indicated. 
Our way was over an undulating, sandy plateau, 
interspersed with beds of gypsum, and sparsely 
covered with a thin, gray vegetation, in scattered 
low plots, the ordinary type of the Saharan 
steppes. The route was monotonous, and was 
enlivened only by the caravans and stragglers 
which we met from time to time, and by what- 
ever animals came in view. Occasionally, when 
the grade was somewhat lower, we traversed what 
are known as " chotts," shallow tracts of salt 
water (many of them almost entirely dried up), 
which at a distance appear to be beautiful 

93 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

lakes, the beauty often being enhanced by 
mirage. 

In the journey south of Biskra, the heat of the 
day was avoided for the sake of the horses and 
mules. During nine months of the year, cara- 
vans and travelling conveyances leave their 
stopping-places about five o'clock in the evening, 
and travel during the night, stopping about an 
hour after sunrise the next morning. During the 
so-called winter, a period of about three months, 
travellers sleep until about two o'clock in the 
morning, when they resume their journey until 
about sunset, for at this season, notwithstanding 
the heat of the day, the hours before sunrise are 
bitterly cold. 

In our progress during the early morning, it 
was very interesting to see to the right and left 
and ahead of us, various caravans of laden 
camels, the owners of which, with women and 
children, drivers and servants, were breaking up 
camp, and gathering around their camp-fires to 
heat the goat's milk with which they prepared 
their first meal for the day. Observing that each 
man poured into his bowl of heated milk two 
heaping handfuls of coarse raw meal, cous-cous, 
crushed lentils, or a species of maize, I inquired 
why they did not cook the crushed grain and 

94 



/ 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

make a mush of it. My Arab companion replied, 
" Oh, those men have a long day's journey before 
them, and we have learned by experience that it 
is better to take breakfast raw, so that it may 
cook in our stomachs while digesting, and stand 
by us and sustain us longer." In some of the 
caravans, especially those conveying women, 
camel's milk is served. The flickering shapes of 
the attendants as they moved about in the dark, 
misty morning, while others were fixing the loaded 
racks on the camels' backs, was a sight that 
memory places before me as vividly as though it 
had been photographed. 

After the caravan has been thus arranged, it is 
an impressive sight to see the men fall upon their 
knees, extend their arms, and lower their heads 
until their faces are buried in the sand in the act 
of devotion. If they are encamped where there 
is no water for ablutions before their morning 
devotions, they employ the flat polished stone, 
already alluded to. It is about three-fourths of 
an inch thick, oblong, and of such dimensions 
that- it can be grasped in the hand ; with this each 
man performs his symbolic ablutions, rubbing his 
lower extremities from his toes to his knees, and 
his arms from his fingers to his shoulders, after 
which he is supposed to be purified as by wash- 

95 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

ing. These stones are also regarded as talis- 
manic, as through their agency the man is pre- 
pared to come into the presence of the prophet 
by prayer. 

When every one of the throng has seen that 
his amulet or talisman is in place about his neck, 
his girdle, or on his arm, the fires are extinguished, 
and with confidence they renew their journey. 

At noon one day, when we halted for a relay of 
animals, as far as we could see in every direction, 
were caravans approaching or leaving the wells 
where our animals were drinking. The caravans 
were so numerous that we calculated there were 
ten thousand camels in sight, estimating each cara- 
van to contain from seventy-five to one hundred. 

CAMELS DRINKING 

A great deal of time is consumed by halts at 

the wells, which in some sections occur only at 

long distances, for a camel requires an average of 

at least fifteen minutes to take a satisfactory drink. 

In cool weather these animals will go twenty days 

without water, and many goats pass ten days 

without drinking. When the camel's thirst is thus 

slaked he can travel days without actually needing 

any water, but not without complaining, for camels 

exceed all other creatures for growling. Their 

9 6 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

cry is very sonorous, and is one of the character- 
istic features of a traveller's halt in any oasis 
where a number of them are being loaded. Some- 
times they complain reasonably, and I have fre- 
quently heard them grunting and have seen them 
refuse to rise until their attendants had removed 
the saddle-rack and sufficiently lessened the bur- 
den. They are laden with cuffins (matting 
sacks), boxes, and bales made of goat skins, 
principally containing dates. 

Fully as interesting as the caravans were the 
towns and villages that now and then relieved 
the monotony of our journey, in the various oases 
or at relay stations. 

The road on the first day out was diversified 
by palm groves, undulating sand, scrub sage, and 
turpentine bushes ; the little branches of the lat- 
ter never grow too high for the goats, which we 
found in great numbers browsing upon them. 
After passing the halting-station of Saada, we 
lunched at Am Chegga. To the south, after Am 
Chegga, there is an extensive view of the plain of 
Oued Gheir, broken here and there by little 
mounds ; one of which, at Kef-el- Akhdar, is called 
the green mound. 

We now follow, for nearly a hundred kilometres, 
the valley (as its name indicates) of Oued Gheir. 

7 97 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

Farther on, we perceived and soon passed the 
Chott Melgigh, which is, in fact, a lake three hun- 
dred kilometres (about one hundred and eighty- 
six miles) long. Then came M'Raier, with walls 
of mud and huts of large sun-dried bricks. Rest 
was found here for the night ; we will again visit 
and describe M'Raier on our return to the north. 

Fifty-five kilometres (thirty-four miles) farther 
on is Tamerna, another baked-mud village, on an 
eminence, in which we saw an old building con- 
structed of stone, resembling a round tower. After 
a half-day's journey we reached Gamrha, where 
the district is favored with the sweetest water on 
this route. 

PALM GROVES 

We were in the midst of a desert where storms 
of sand sweep over, blinding and suffocating man 
and beast, and where the camels bury their heads 
when they see such a storm coming. Yet in this 
domain of barrenness the ingenuity of man has 
by labor created these oases, in which gardens and 
fruit-bearing trees exist only in perfection under 
the kindly shade of the great palm groves. There 
figs, oranges, lemons, etc., thrive all the year 
round, and one can pluck delicious, aromatic man- 
darines from the little trees, not much taller than 
a man, the roots of which are constantly refreshed 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

by water served to them through trenches. From 
December to March wheat and barley are grown 
under the same trees, as is also fragrant tobacco, 
pale in color but of pungent flavor. 

In the district of L'Oued Rir there are nearly 
seven hundred thousand palm-trees, of which 
about one hundred thousand bear fruit. The 
female palm-trees are by far the more numerous ; 
they bear enormous bunches of dates, but their 
fruit is properly formed and developed only when 
the pollen of the male palm is served to them. To 
render the crop more sure the natives supply and 
apply this fecundation by hand in April. One 
male palm-tree, a real Arab polygamist, serves 
thus about four hundred female fruit-bearing 
palms. 

The best trees are planted from shoots. The 
Arab proverb says : "If the palm-tree shall pros- 
per, it must have its head in the fire of the skies 
and its feet in the water ;" and the natives pay 
constant attention that the water is supplied to 
the trenches from the wells. They begin — that 
is, the female trees begin — to bear at about eight 
or nine years of age, but the best fruit comes 
about fifteen years later. The trees continue to 
bear until after they have passed the century mark, 
when the sap is made into a beverage ; the inte- 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

rior of the trunk is often eaten, and the wood is 
used in building and for fuel. 

There are about as many varieties of date- 
palms as we have of pear- and apple-trees. Un- 
der the most favorable conditions of climate and 
irrigation, a translucent date known as the Deglet 
Nour is produced, this is the finest grown in the 
Sahara. It commands a high price, is eagerly 
sought and purchased by merchants from Tunisia 
and other countries in the north of Africa. These 
dates are largely exported to England and the 
United States. 

TOUGGOURT 

Though at times, in such a journey on the sand, 
the day seems interminable and the route weary- 
ing, time and the hour bring us from ravine to 
plain, from barren places to verdant oases, and 
present tempting views of villas, terraces, domes, 
and forests, that often exist only in mirage. But 
it was not always mirage, and one day just before 
the sun declined, we were told that the towers, 
minarets, fair palm groves, and dome before us 
belonged to Touggourt. It was picturesque as 
we approached — more so, indeed, than when we 
came within the town — for the light of the 
setting sun gave a beautiful effect to its dome 
and towers, and to the groves of palm-trees, 

IOO 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

which stood out in fine relief upon the horizon. 
The road for about a kilometre before reaching 
Touggourt has been rendered more solid by 
wood and stone paving. The moat which for- 
merly protected the town is now partially filled 
with dry sand, but we soon passed that and 
found ourselves in the unique market-place, 
sitting down to make cosmopolitan friendship, 
which afterwards proved to be agreeable and 
profitable. 

Since comparatively few travellers, other than 
the denizens of the desert, enter Touggourt, when 
fair-faced Anglo-Saxons arrive, the natives gather 
around them regarding with interest the Northern 
clothing, so strongly in contrast with their cos- 
tumes, the creamy white bernouse, decorated here 
and there with kufieyahs or scarfs in brilliant 
colors. The inhabitants of this town (about five 
thousand in number) were originally from so 
many villages and oases in the desert that several 
tribes are represented, living in their various 
quarters. Among these tribes are Beni-Mancour 
negro Arabs, Israelites who have adopted Islam- 
ism, Almees, and representatives of the dark 
tribes of the southern desert ; even some Toua- 
regs may be seen here. 

The men of nearly all the tribes sit upon the 

IOI 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

ground to perform their various avocations. Some 
of them have between their knees large bowls in 
which they are chopping up the aromatic green 
leaves of the Sakerja and Indian hemp (Cannabis 
indica) plants, which they mix with their smoking 
tobacco, on account of the well-known effect of 
exaltation or infatuation. The Indian hemp came 
originally from Asia ; its active principle, correctly 
called hasheesh in the Arabic, is called kiffhy the 
Arabs of the desert. 

As is generally the case in towns, the principal 
open space not occupied by houses is used as a 
public square, which, in Touggourt, is known as 
the "market-place." It is irregular in shape, 
like a long leg of mutton, the ankle or shin being 
curved. Here is held a market every day in the 
week, the attendance being greater on Friday 
than on any other day. On either side stand the 
public and commercial buildings, few of which 
are more than eighteen feet high. 

At the entrance and to the left are groves of 
palm trees, where barbers with benches, and the 
necessary utensils, are occupied all day in shav- 
ing faces and heads, leaving only at the back of 
the head the invariable lock by which the prophet 
shall pull its owner up to Paradise at the last 
day. Under a long arched arcade on the right 




Baskkt-Makers, Touggouri 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

are the bazaars, a row of tradesmen's small 
shops, in which shoemakers, tailors, silversmiths, 
jewellers, knife- and stilletto-makers, leather- 
sheath-makers, etc., transact business. 

On the west side, opposite, is the Kasba of the 
Agha, a native ruler ; beyond that, the Arab 
bureau, the house of the Commandant, and bar- 
racks of the zouaves and cavalry, for this is a 
military station. On the east side is a large de- 
pot and agency of the company known as Oued 
Rir, which has date groves in many oases through- 
out the Oued Gheiir. 

ENCAMPMENT OF PRISONERS' WIVES 
Near by is a very curious encampment, gener- 
ally thickly inhabited, which is installed there un- 
der an act of government. There beneath the 
usual coarse, striped, camel' s-hair tents, lodge the 
wives, sisters, daughters, and minor children of 
culprits who are imprisoned for brigandage and 
other crimes on the desert. These women have 
their flocks of goats, and sometimes a stock of 
dried dates ; by the sale of a portion of the goat's 
milk and fruit, by washing for the military en- 
campment, and by gathering loads of desert scrub 
wood and roots, they are enabled to eke out a 

livelihood until the prisoner is released. This 

103 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

wood is readily salable, and can be had for the 
labor of cutting it on the desert and bringing it 
in on their little donkeys. 

The establishment of the military commander 
is the most important edifice of this, the modern 
town. This residence may be considered a curi- 
osity, as it is constructed of stone carried on 
camel-back across the desert for many days' jour- 
ney. Some of the apartments are commodious, 
and during the heated term one can be compara- 
tively comfortable within its stone walls. There 
a European traveller may obtain good army bread 
and a small portion of distilled water with which 
to prepare coffee, or tea, or soup ; all other water 
is so strongly impregnated with medicinal salts 
that a person not acclimated is terribly inconve- 
nienced by its use, though residents become im- 
mune. 

MARKET-DAY AT TOUGGOURT 

At an early hour on Friday morning the grunt- 
ing of camels and the jabbering of merchants as 
they unloaded their wares combined to make a 
hullabaloo that proclaimed the great market-day. 
Having obtained the services of Farjala, an Arab, 
who has consented to be our guide, we set out to 
see the sights. 

Merchants of every kind and artisans from dif- 

104 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

ferent oases may be found squatting on the 
ground, surrounded by their wares, from early 
morning until late at night. Some of them display 
their stock in trade on the sand ; the more orderly 
spread some cotton material on which they show 
their merchandise. 

Here are dealers in leather slippers of many 
varieties, colored red, yellow, and green, plain 
and embroidered ; knife-cases or sheaths of the 
same material and colors ; ogols, twisted cords, of 
camel's hair, about the thickness of one's little 
finger, for binding the turbans to their heads or 
for girdles at their waists ; broad-bladed tweezers, 
with which the natives, both male and female, 
draw out all hair from their bodies, and hand- 
mirrors gaily bound in leather, which are used 
sometimes during the latter operation ; combs of 
yellow and white woods, for both men and don- 
keys ; and goggles of leather with glasses to pro- 
tect the eyes from the sand-storms, for much of 
the desert sand is so impalpable as even in a 
day's march to penetrate the seams of the best- 
made boots. Earthenware utensils also are for 
sale, not of great variety, as the simple mode of 
life of these people demands little more than cups, 
dishes, pots, and pans, in which to cook and from 
which to eat their cous-cous, the national dish, 

105 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

They do make some rather artistic incense-burn- 
ers, however. Primitive locks and keys — rude, 
but ingenious — for the hovels of Touggourt and 
other towns are also sold. 

Here, too, are merchants of fans — of fans round, 
oval, and square, made of palm-leaves, orna- 
mented with colored embroideries or cut-leather 
applique ; to nearly all of them are attached small, 
round looking-glasses with embroidered covers. 
The teeth and talons of wild animals, lions, 
leopards, and tigers, also are sold. 

TOUAREGS 

Here and there we encounter Touaregs, a 
race of black men, who always veil their faces 
below their eyes with a course netting. They 
offer for sale ornamented knives, small bags, and 
large travelling bags, made from the entire skins 
of goats and other animals, stained red and yellow 
with rude designs, and purses in similar style, 
with others of beautifully marked lizard skins ; 
the larger sizes of which are made into leggings 
to match their many-colored, soft, leather shoes. 

Besides the women alluded to above, merchants 

of fuel scour the plains hunting scraggy roots of 

the desert sage, which are brought into market, 

loaded on either side of the smallest donkeys 

1 06 



■' 










SANDS OF SAHARA 

imaginable, who stagger under their loads in the 
market-place, and actually seem to show their 
contentment when some one comes along and 
purchases their burden and thus relieves them. 
This fuel is sold to those who are too lazy to go 
and get it for themselves, for it abounds in the 
desert. 

We find dealers in henna, used by both men 
and women to stain their finger-nails, and by 
women to disfigure their teeth as soon as they are 
married ; for then a woman should cease to be 
attractive to any man except her husband. Also 
a pigment with which the women blacken their 
eyelashes and lay on a tint under their eyes for 
the same reason. Other articles are the gum 
benjamin, which so many use in their earthen- 
ware incense-burners, and strings of variously 
designed colored opaque beads, to which are at- 
tached talismans for the neck and wrists. 

Among the eatables are tons of dates, from 

large packages, bales made of bullock's skins, 

to a handful counted out for a few centimes. 

And lumps of turmeric are sold ; this is reduced 

to a powder, and is used in various meat stews, 

and to color the national cous-cous, a dish made 

of a coarse meal of roasted acorns mixed with 

ordinary flour. 

107 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

Large and small red peppers abound ; most of 
them find their way into the cous-cous. As in all 
hot climates, there is here a great demand for 
high seasoning to give relish to the food ; but 
none of their condiments compare with the chut- 
ney of India. 

THE AUCTIONEERS AND BLIND DWARF 
A strange feature is the peripatetic auctioneer, 
who pursues his vocation by walking from morn- 
ing until night throughout the market-place, with 
an assortment of second-hand bernouses, turban 
cloths in many colors, several watches, a stilletto 
or two, a second-hand gandoura, an outside gar- 
ment in many colors, something like carpet, to be 
put on in the chill of the early morning, etc. He 
reports at every few steps the highest bid he has 
had on each article, and when he reaches a figure 
he is willing to accept, he confronts the bidder 
with the last bidder, and the bargain is consum- 
mated. 

About nine o'clock in the morning, a blind 
dwarf, whom we had seen at Temacin, arrived in 
the market-place with a stock of eggs in baskets, 
loaded on either side of his little donkey. For 
several years the dwarf has followed this business 
of buying up eggs around the country through- 

108 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

out the week, and selling them in Touggourt on 
Friday, following his donkey across the desert by 
hearing the tinkling bell strung on its neck ; the 
donkey knows the route thoroughly, of course. 
Although the man had only met me twice pre- 
viously, he now recognized me by my voice. It 
was touching to see the affectionate manner with 
which he groped and reached for the hand of the 
man (my host) for whom he brought the eggs. 

HOODED FALCONS 
One of the most picturesque features of the 
market-place is formed by the dealers in hooded 
falcons, the hunting birds. The training of these 
falcons is an honored and honorable profession, 
and on the occasion of a grand fete the falconers 
always take part in the procession. The falcon's 
eyes are kept hooded at a hunt until a hare or 
other animal has been started, when the hood is 
removed. When the falcon sees his prey he 
rises in the air until he is well over it, when he 
descends swiftly and eagerly on it ; it is then the 
falconer's duty to secure the game. To see 
these birds pounce upon their game is fine sport 

CAMEL, GOAT, AND DONKEY MARKET 

Near the northern entrance of the town and 

market-place congregate those who have camels, 

109 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

goats, and donkeys for sale. Others near by sell 
the skins of all these animals, some raw and some 
cured or tanned. A little farther away a number 
of camels are slaughtered every day. Although 
these animals appear to be only skin and bone, 
those that are butchered are very fleshy, and 
much of the meat is tender and even fat ; it has 
an agreeable flavor, especially the hump, from 
which are cut the choice pieces. The flesh of the 
antelope and gazelle are offered for sale, and 
some of these animals are sold alive as compan- 
ions for women. 

A little to the west the ground is covered with 
a group of men busy in hammering out knife- 
blades and poniards, while others are finishing 
and polishing. Other workmen near by, whom 
we may reasonably term skilled mechanics, are 
preparing, fitting, and ornamenting red leather 
sheaths for these implements, a very interesting 
operation to watch. 

Just off the northern side a blacksmith has a 
hovel, a sort of tent. About all he finds to do is 
to make a few hoof irons for the donkeys, hinges 
for the doors of the huts, and the flat hanging 
rings that serve as knockers. His fire is blown by 
a boy squatting on the ground, who presses alter- 
nately on two goat-skins, which he thus inflates. 



^^^ 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

All this time a procession is passing to and 
fro. Many of the Arabs who promenade in the 
market-place with the greatest complacency are 
clothed in materials so patched and mended that 
they consist more of repairs than of the original 
garment. But they seem so contented that one 
might almost say, "when rags give bliss, 'tis folly 
to wear whole cloth." Some of them, however, 
are far more wealthy than their appearance indi- 
cates ; that is, even the most patched and mended 
of them may possess more camels than does one 
who is more pretentious in his costume. The 
financial status of a man in Touggourt is always 
gauged by the answer to the question, " How 
many camels has he?" 

THE MOSQUE 
Among all this vast throng the earnestly re- 
ligious, the zealous, find frequent opportunities to 
withdraw and forget the cares of life for a while in 
their devotions at the mosque, which almost closes 
the northern end of the place we have been de- 
scribing. The exterior of this mosque is attrac- 
tive and interesting, possessing a dome of the 
fifteenth century ; the interior, down to the pillars 
that support the dome, is of unique Arabesque 

ornamentation, as is also the mimbar. The pillars 

in 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

are fluted, having the appearance of three cylin- 
drical columns pressed into one. This fine old 
specimen of architecture has been restored from 
time to time during several centuries. As water 
is scarce, there is not always sufficient accommo- 
dation for men worshippers to wash their legs 
and arms ; they therefore often resort to the sub- 
stitute of rubbing with a stone. Men only are 
considered, as women do not enter where the 
presence of the prophet is approached. 

Very few prayer-carpets are to be seen in this 
mosque, the worshippers being unable to afford 
such luxuries, but the stone floor is strewn with 
prayer-mats, made of rushes and shreds of bam- 
boo, in ornamental design. The gallery on the 
minaret of the tower commands an extended view 
of the surrounding desert, — particularly beautiful 
at sunset, — including Temacin to the southwest, 
and the salt lakes on the left of that route, with 
their borders of rushes and tamarisks. From 
this minaret, before the morning light and through- 
out the day, may be heard the musical ringing 
voice of the muezzin. 

THE SUPPLY OF WATER 
Narrow diverging streets lead from the portal 
of the mosque into the old and curious town of 

112 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

Touggourt, and about five minutes' walk from this 
portal is one of the most important wells, from 
which constantly rises a welcome stream of warm 
water, which flows into a stone pool, supplying 
the greatest need in this desert land. The natives 
enjoy its warm temperature during the cold morn- 
ings of their short so-called winter, while the heat 
of their summer is so intense that this same water 
seems cool to their palates at that season. The 
demand for water for several thousand inhabitants 
causes a continual assemblage of women, some 
from the town, with many nomads from the neigh- 
boring desert, waiting their turn to fill their pecu- 
liar water-jars. There are three such wells ; the 
second is at the southeast, supplying the merchants 
and camels of the market-place, and the third is 
in the southwest, behind the Kasba. Three times 
daily the water-carriers assemble at the principal 
well, not far from the mosque, filling their water- 
bottles made of the entire skins of animals, the 
necks of which are fastened with a leather band. 

This subject, the supply of water, has always 
occupied the minds of the tribes of the desert. 
The people from time to time listened to every 
suggestion that was presented, but, blinded by 
superstition, were favorable to none. 

The theory was often entertained that the 
8 113 



SANDS OF SAHARA 



Sahara was formerly a great sea, that the sands 
were its bed, and as the sea subsided there re- 
mained the brackish salt water frequently obtained 
at great depths. But scientists who have exam- 
ined the sand in the dunes have found no parti- 
cles of animal organisms, no minute fragments 
of sea-shells, to support this theory. Further- 
more, the desert of Sahara is not throughout a 
level plain, for there are many mountains fre- 
quented by the Barbary sheep and moufflons, 
another species of wild sheep, which animals live 
only where they can find water. 

Rain falls in these rocky hills, and the water 
percolating through the sand renders the sources 
of some wells less brackish, so that the supply of 
water in such hilly districts is much more palata- 
ble after a rainy season. There are indications 
of a subterranean sea, or a water-course, at the 
least, for I have seen crabs and little fishes come 
to the surface at some of the wells, probably 
thrown up from artesian pools of water at a depth 
of two hundred feet below the surface sands. 

Just as every oriental country where England 
has planted her flag has improved and been en- 
riched, so the Arabs of the desert of Sahara have 
greatly profited by the advent of the French. 

Facts demonstrate how grateful inhabitants and 

114 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

nomads in those parched districts should be to 
the French nation. Especially have the engineers 
almost miraculously contributed to their comfort, 
their necessity, in fact. 

In 1844 the ancient wells of Touggourt were 
failing — drying up ; little water was to be had 
for irrigation. Then scientists divined where the 
source of water, already known to exist nearer 
the Mediterranean Sea, might possibly be reached 
by sinking wells at certain points. Had they 
listened to the native wiseacres, they would have 
been discouraged. But they continued boring, 
and much to the astonishment and joy of the in- 
credulous, at no very great depth about (one hun- 
dred and ninety feet) reached a supply of water, 
which gushed forth and which has ever since en- 
riched that oasis, even in a measure having a 
civilizing effect on the natives. 

The French colonists have constructed more 
than one hundred artesian wells in this section, 
and the natives probably possess three times as 
many of their own making ; the wells may even 
aggregate nearly five hundred in number. 

THE UNDERGROUND CITY 
Passing thence to the interior of the old town, 
we find ourselves in a subterranean city, as it 

"5 



SANDS OF SAHARA 



were ; for in the last century the narrow streets 
which traverse Touggourt were roofed through- 
out with the long trunks of palm-trees, laid on 
the baked walls, over which earth and sand were 
packed, the mass being bound together by the 
fibrous roots of plants. For the admission of 
light and air an occasional opening occurs, two 
or three feet in breadth and six or eight feet in 
length. 

The people in the hot season sleep on the 
roofs in cages made of cane and palm-wood, over 
which a screen is arranged to intercept the rays 
of the moon ; some of these frames are for one 
person, others for as many as four members of a 
family. 

Outside the door of nearly every house is a 
ledge of sun-baked earth. In the hot season 
these terra-cotta benches are occupied by the 
people, and here and there some lucky fellow who 
has turned out early may be found lying at full 
length enjoying a sound sleep. Those less fortu- 
nate sit close along the walls of the narrow 
passageways or streets, with their hands locked 
together over their ankles, supporting their chins 
on their knees, as they talk about the prophet 
and smoke their tobacco. 

The buildings within this town are principally 

116 




A Woman of the Ouled Nails. 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

dwellings, almost all the shops being under the 
arcades, on the market-place outside, where sup- 
plies are obtained at the daily market. There are, 
however, apartments where women and men work 
as tailors on the universal burnouse, and a few fan- 
makers are found. 

Carpets (or rugs) are made quite extensively, 
but they are generally woven out of doors. 
There are Arabs who deal in them when the sea- 
son is not too extremely hot, starting out with 
three or four bright rugs thrown over their shoul- 
ders, and frequenting the well-known routes in the 
desert. These men will follow a caravan for sev- 
eral kilometres, offering their carpets for a price 
which, moderate as it is, is lowered at every suc- 
cessive demand, so anxious are they to make sales. 
Many a European traveller regrets his inability to 
profit by the opportunity to purchase these curi- 
ous carpets, because of the inconvenience of 
carrying such encumbering souvenirs of an indus- 
try decidedly unique. 

THE CAFE MAURESQUE 
Now, from the market-place those who care 
more for the flesh and the devil than for the sanc- 
tuary repair to the Cafe Mauresque, the estab- 
lishment of the dancing-girls known as the Ouled 

117 



SANDS OF SAHARA 



Nails. It is situated, with its dependencies, to the 
right, just at the entrance from the desert into 
the market-place. Here these girls pass on an 
average two years of their lives, by turns per- 
forming the "danse du ventre," from about sunset 
until far into the night. Here gather crowds of 
the Arabs of the desert from far and wide, sit- 
ting, smoking, drinking coffee, drowsing, admiring, 
and dreaming, as one dancing-girl after another 
approaches them with her bewitching gestures. 
The music from one-stringed instruments and the 
sonorous tam-tam, though monotonous to Euro- 
pean ears, apparently moves their hearts, so that 
with the smoky atmosphere, the dance, and the 
music, the troubles of life seem forgotten. 

As the charmers in turn need repose, they re- 
tire to a large square court, connected by an arch- 
way behind the dancing-room, on all sides of 
which, on the ground, are the divans of the Ouled 
Nails. Some of them look really beautiful as they 
promenade under the weight of gold and silver 
coins and medals, sewn to silk braids of many 
colors, which generally ornament their heads. 
One might imagine himself near rose-bushes when 
these girls come near, so penetrating is the odor 
of attar of roses, which they use in the water for 
their ablutions. 

118 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

BEDOUIN ENCAMPMENTS 
All this is within the town of Touggourt. Sur- 
rounding it, within a radius of three-quarters of 
a mile, are always several Bedouin encampments, 
with entire families huddled together under their 
low tents, their goats, dogs, and camels giving 
effect to the picture. 

In front of the Bedouin encampments, men and 
women work with their primitive looms spread 
out on the sand, weaving with the coarse brown, 
black, and grayish-white hair of camels and goats 
the strong impermeable cloth with which they 
construct their tents. These looms are very 
simply arranged on the ground, consisting of two 
bars of wood with convenient holes into which is 
attached the twisted warp ; a flat shuttle is passed 
slowly backward and forward, while the strands of 
the web are driven home by a bevelled wooden 
bar. (See illustrations facing pages 120 and 122.) 
Extra colonies of nomadic Ouled Nails, not 
so richly dressed as those of the Cafe Mauresque 
in the town, are found in two neighboring villages ; 
these combine the questionable traffic of fortune- 
telling with their other occupations. They are 
all well defended by talismans, with which they 

will not part, unless it be for money. Having 

119 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

made the acquaintance of Touggourt and its im- 
mediate surroundings, we proceed with our host 
and Farjala to penetrate farther into the desert. 
Farjala was the owner of several palm-groves in 
different oases, and proved to be very useful in 
his capacity as guide. 



NEZLA 

On elevated ground, about a kilometre to the 
south of Touggourt, stands the little town of 
Nezla, of which some idea may be formed by 
picturing a labyrinth in which low, sun-baked walls 
and huts instead of trees form the maze, and 
are the obstructions around which we wend our 
way, continually turning in every direction, and 
in whose lanes and alleys scantily clad children 
seem to be playing at hide-and-seek with us. 
For some moments a dozen little heads of boys 
and girls, with twice as many bright eyes, shyly 
peep out from doors and around the corners in 
every direction, vanishing as we approach. But 
their curiosity tempts them to appear again, and 
they follow when we have passed. 

Women with veiled faces, and men standing 
about, lounging in groups, or passing with date- 
laden donkeys or camels, modestly regard us. 
Though we encounter many who cannot see, 



1 20 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

few demand charity. The inhabitants of this 
hamlet, characterized by poverty and squalor, 
have an air of contentment, perhaps resulting 
from their sense of security from all danger, for 
not only are the lintels protected by amulets, 
vegetable, animal, or mineral, but here the people 
also have placed their reliance greatly in round 
mirrors, which are cunningly fastened over the 
entrances of their habitations, so that the evil 
spirits, perceiving their own hideous forms, may 
in disgust keep away. Furthermore, Nezla has 
a marabout's tomb, which is to the inhabitants, 
especially the women, of greater value than this 
world's riches, and renders the squalor of the vil- 
lage of no importance, for it is their belief that 
reverence of such a shrine insures a reunion with 
the saintly spirit of that holy one in the life 
beyond the tomb. At the resting-place of these 
sacred remains not only do the residents relig- 
iously assemble, but devout Arabs from many 
distant oases, whose departed parents were ordi- 
nary men, often come to kneel at its rude portal. 
A marabout's tomb is not only a possession of 
which the people of the village are proud, but is 
a source of some profit, on account of the money 
thus contributed by strangers for its support. 
The principal industry in Nezla is the forming 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

and baking of terra-cotta dishes, bowls, and jugs 
by the men, while the women are occupied with 
spinning and weaving on their primitive hand- 
looms. In the potteries, poor artisans, with a few 
boys to assist them, work untiringly at modelling 
the clay into the various forms desired. Some of 
the vases or jugs are formed in three pieces, and 
it is particularly interesting to observe these pot- 
ters spin the parts deftly together on a revolving 
pedestal with only their hands, a smooth stick, 
and water to form them. The peculiar salt with 
which the chott water is impregnated seems to 
facilitate the glazing of their pottery when baked. 
Having procured several of the round mirrors 
used as house talismans, we retraced our steps 
and prepared for a longer tour. 

SIDI RACHID 
Certain officials in Sidi Rachid having been noti- 
fied of the intended visit of a European, Farjala, 
our guide and companion, and the merchant with 
whom we had been lodging applied themselves to 
the arrangement of a sort of drag, or dog-cart, 
with which to make our day's excursion. An 
extra pole was rigged to the cart, to which a little 
pony was already harnessed, and to the pole they 
hitched a powerful and rather obstreperous mule. 

122 




•omen weaving Material for Head-Dresses— Haiks. 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

Some bread, canned fish, dates, bananas, and 
brandy stocked our provision-basket. It is not to 
be supposed that Farjala and my host arranged 
this outfit by themselves ; on the contrary, during 
the half-hour in which everything was being made 
ready on the market-place in front of our sleeping 
lodge we were assisted by the advice — and at 
times interference — of a group of forty or fifty- 
Arabs of many sizes and various complexions. 
When all was ready these counsellors sent us on 
our way with prayers for the protection of the 
prophet. Among these simple-hearted people 
such an outfitting is an event which somewhat 
relieves the general monotony of their lives. 

After traversing for some time the resonant 
beds of gypsum, which always furnish a more 
agreeable way than the deep heavy sand, to 
shorten our route and economize time we passed 
through the shallow, salt-water chotts, in several 
of which the splashing of the animals' feet drove 
away schools of little fish in every direction. (See 

P a g e 93.) 

Beyond these lakes the way was more un- 
dulating, brightened again by sunlit crystals of 
selenite. Our course was indicated occasionally 
by the geimaras, ancient towers pointing out the 

way, most of which on this route are in a dilapi- 

123 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

dated condition. We are entertained from time 
to time in every direction by little animals of the 
genus Macroscelides tetradactylus, known among 
the French residents as the Rat a trornpe. They 
seek insects on the desert-sage, the turpentine 
bushes, and the vines of the colocynth, the tough 
roots of which are deeply imbedded in the sand. 
As they look at us, each cunning fellow swings 
from side to side his little proboscis, which some- 
what resembles an elephant's trunk. 

The colocynth gourds resemble bitter apples ; 
their plentiful flat and oval seeds are said to 
yield an oil. As a medicinal fruit, the light 
spongy pulp was employed by the ancient Greek 
and Arab physicians. The leaves of the vine 
resemble those of the cucumber. This tempting 
gourd is very beautiful and very abundant, which 
last fact is not to be wondered at, for it is so 
intensely bitter that no living creature is known to 
eat of it. 

As we advanced we enjoyed seeing the little 
jerboas scampering away at the crack of our 
driver's whip. The jerboa is of the genus Dipus 
cBgypticus ; it is sometimes called the "dwarf 
kangaroo," because of its resembling in miniature 
the Australian kangaroo. It derives its name 
Dipus from the fact that when it stands erect, and 

124 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

is about to spring, it's fore-paws are so drawn in 
that it seems to have only the two long legs, 
which are about six times the length of the fore- 
paws. The driver's friendly whistle caused the 
little creatures to turn their keen eyes now and 
then wonderingly on us as they sought for insects 
on the stems of the sage. Crested larks were 
everywhere flitting and hopping about. We 
heard the sweet tones of the Certhilauda deserti, 
and the piping of migratory birds. Lizards and 
chameleons gave animation to the rocks. 

At the outskirts of Sidi Rachid, which stands 
on a slight eminence, we were met by the sheik 
and his retinue, who were waiting to receive us. 
After a few salutations, we proceeded with him to 
one of his houses in the town, somewhat amused 
that this, his house, where we were to be enter- 
tained at lunch, was not the residence in which he 
kept his wives. He was willing to accommodate 
us and entertain us in every other way, but his 
wives were not to be seen. 

During our repast the sheik sat, cross-legged 
and at his ease, under the low arch of the apart- 
ment in front of us. He was a picturesque 
figure, his bushy, silvered eyebrows, mustachios, 
and beard standing out very distinctly on his 
bronzed skin. He seemed to be more occupied 

125 



SANDS OF SAHARA 



in observing our manner of partaking of the 
meal than of enjoying it himself, and was quite 
solicitous to know our opinion of the dates, 
which were from his own palms, but to which, 
owing to lack of time, we did not do full justice. 

Lunch hastily disposed of, we soon were in the 
town again with quite a retinue ; one attendant 
carried a basket of good size. The houses of Sidi 
Rachid, made of sun-baked earth, are small and 
without any comfort; there is almost no furniture 
except mats of straw or rush, and the door-ways 
are so low that the people almost crawl when they 
enter. The streets are narrow and tortuous, as in 
all the towns of the Sahara. The inhabitants, both 
human beings and goats, modestly followed us, 
and children observed us as usual on the sly from 
the door-jambs and corners, as though we had 
been representatives of the ancient cliff-dwellers. 

I explained frankly to the sheik that in a great 
measure the object of my visit was to obtain 
amulets, not admitting for a moment that they 
were evidences of superstition, but rather ex- 
pressing an interest in the wonderful defensive 
powers of the objects that met my view. The 
sheik behaved very amiably, and although he did 
not command the occupants of the houses to take 
down the amulets from their lintels, he pleaded 



26 






SANDS OF SAHARA 

my cause so urgently, that in a majority of cases 
my money was exchanged for their amulets. The 
populace regarded me with mixed sentiments of 
curiosity and anxiety ; some of them really looked 
as though they feared that I was an emissary of 
the evil one, and that at his instance I was carry- 
ing off the veils that until now had hung between 
them and him. 

When we had completed an interesting visit to 
the suburbs, we re-entered the principal town just 
as a caravan was starting away for the north. 
After some persuasion, and through the agency 
of money, more potent than any amulet, I ob- 
tained from the leading camel's neck the donkey's 
foot which had long served as an amulet. At a 
neighboring way-side refreshment cabin, where 
palm-juice, eggs, and dates were to be obtained, 
several amulets came down from the lintels to en- 
rich my collection, and I also purchased a few 
talismans of a merchant squatted on the ground 
at the entrance to the town. 

When we left Sidi Rachid, in time to reach 
Touggourt before night, the sheik sent a man 
to go before the pony and mule to show us a 
better or shorter way for our return to Toug- 
gourt. It is wonderful what swift runners these 
men of the desert are : this one kept in advance 

127 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

of our cart for a long distance ; the following 
day I sent one of them as a messenger all the 
way from Touggourt to Sidi Rachid, to pro- 
cure one of the carved wooden bars with which 
every door in that town is rudely decorated, and 
at the centre of which hangs a chiselled bronze 01 
iron ring with which to pull the door shut or to 
knock. 



MEGGERINE 
One morning, armed with a letter of introduc- 
tion to the caid of a number of oases to the 
northwest, we set out on another tour of investi- 
gation. After passing over some acres of hard 
beds of gypsum, we ploughed through the heavy 
sand, and farther on we passed through the 
shallow salt water of some chotts, where again 
thousands of little fish hurried away from our 
course, startled by the noise of our conveyance. 
Soon we met numerous caravans on the desert, 
and among the camels we remarked some that 
were nearly white. We passed through a town, 
deserted on account of its unhealthiness, and 
eventually arrived at Meggerine ; a very neat 
place compared with most other villages or towns 
in this district. We were accompanied by a mer- 
chant well known throughout the country as a 

128 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

buyer of entire crops of dates, and as a dealer in 
maize and other grains. 

On our arrival we repaired immediately to the 
house and enclosure of the Governor of Mog- 
gars, the " Caid Ahmed Lalalie," who received us 
very courteously and kindly invited us to enter. 
He was a handsome man and really a polished 
gentleman, of light copper-colored complex- 
ion. He spoke French perfectly, and when he 
had occasion to write me afterwards I dis- 
covered his orthography to be remarkably cor- 
rect, an accomplishment by no means uni- 
versal, even in France. He wore a very white 
turban, bound several times around with a light 
brown ogol, or twisted cord, of camel's hair, and 
a white garment, having a red hood and lined 
throughout with red, and bordered with em- 
broidery in gold thread. This he wore jauntily 
thrown open in front ; and under it was a sort 
of jacket, also heavy with yellow embroidery 
on the front and on the sleeves. Ample white 
cotton trousers, a red and yellow silk sash, red 
leather leggings, black shoes, and tan-colored 
suede gloves completed his costume, which was 
really quite elegant, everything seemed so fresh 
and clean. The Sheik Djemai was also well 
dressed, though his simpler costume made less 

9 129 






SANDS OF SAHARA 

display. The caid showed us through his rooms, 
and asked us to be seated in one in which he 
evidently attended to his correspondence ; here 
was a square table spread with a cloth. He 
introduced his adjutant (Djaballah ben Mahomet, 
his cousin), and, knowing the object of my visit, 
authorized him to accompany us throughout the 
town, and to arrange with the people so that 
I might obtain as many evidences of their super- 
stitions as possible. This was accomplished very 
thoroughly ; a good part of my collection will 
show what curious acquisitions were made. 

The native women and children were curious 
to see us, but were quite shy, the children par- 
ticularly hiding themselves around the corners of 
the narrow streets and in every available nook. 
The women's loose garments are of indigo blue ; 
they drape their heads and shoulders with coarse 
tissues, and veil their faces with elaborately em- 
broidered thin scarfs, almost transparent. 

After a couple of hours' search throughout the 

town we returned to lunch with the caid, which 

was attended to in a princely manner, though the 

vegetables savored of the odor of flowers more 

than we desired. With the dessert, he surprised 

us with some delicious roasted sugared almonds 

of different kinds, which we ate with dates. Black 

130 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

coffee was served in dainty cups, on a very bright 
brass salver. 

At the suggestion of the caid we then pro- 
ceeded to visit the environs, which proved interest- 
ing. On lower ground, only a short distance to 
the northwest, stands the old town, long since de- 
serted on account of the insalubrity of its climate. 

More than one object was added to my collec- 
tion from a ridge between the two towns. A 
bearer of burdens, carrying an earthenware jar 
on her head, crossed our path, but halted at the 
salutation of the sheik. Like other women of 
her tribe, she wore a long, thin, gauze scarf of 
translucent blue, adorned and brightened by fine 
needle-work in yellow and red, which, after encir- 
cling her body from the waist, was passed grace- 
fully up over the head, so that a thin point, more 
tastefully embroidered, veiled her face. Beneath 
this point, on her forehead, she wore a diminutive 
hand of Fatma, in silver, with a dark enamelled 
wrist, which talisman, through the intercession of 
the sheik, and for a satisfactory consideration, 
came into my possession. 

As we passed again through the town on our 
departure we remarked that on the walls of the 
houses were a great number of skulls of camels, 
fastened over the doors and on the corners as 

131 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

amulets. We left with the kind wish that these 
amulets migh prove effectual. We were not 
alone on our departure, for the good people kept 
with us until we were well on the way. 

One grain of sand resembles another, yet the 
desert at this point presented new features : there 
were more undulations, clumps of scrub-sage and 
turpentine cropped up from each little mound, 
and at every kilometre stood those ancient, dilapi- 
dated geimaras, friendly assurances that we were 
on the right course. As usual, the evening brought 
now and then belated caravans, on their way to 
rest for the night at the town we had just quitted. 

During all these journeys our wandering way 
had been varied by beds of gypsum, which re- 
sounded like muffled drums to the camel's foot- 
steps, or had been brightened by the sunlight re- 
flected in the ever-welcome outcropping crystals 
of selenite, occasionally varied by white flakes of 
saltpetre, groups of date-bearing palms, and strag- 
gling sage-bushes, or by those running vines 
so temptingly laden with the bitter colocynth 
fruit, from which all living creatures turn aside. 

THE DUNES OF EL OUED 
Turning our backs on this quasi-civilization, in 

which we have seen so many evidences of super- 

132 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

stition, we journeyed to the southeast, away from 
the diversion afforded by passing animals and 
the numerous tribesmen of caravans, and entered 
on a barren area in which we saw nothing but 
golden sand and sunshine. Here one finds in all 
its intensity the element of silence, which no- 
where prevails to such an extent, for here it 
almost disputes the supremacy of the sunlight. 

One is here reminded of a vast treeless tract 
over which winds continued during many days 
have drifted heavy snow, rolling it up into innu- 
merable little hillocks. Here within the dunes 
of El Oued the mountains of golden sand have 
been tossed and rolled up in every direction for 
miles, and then, just as though in the midst of a 
great stormy upheaval all motion had instantane- 
ously ceased, each dune had been transfixed, 
like Lot's wife. These nomadic mounds rest 
without a trace of life, without a footprint to 
break or mar their undulatory surfaces, each grain 
of sand sparkling with reflected light in the still- 
ness of the desert, the geometrical form of the 
grains evidently contributing to their attractive 
appearance, until another sand-storm may drive 
them away, perhaps twenty or thirty kilometres. 

A compass might be very serviceable in finding 
one's way to the oases and villages beyond, but 

133 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

not every itinerant Arab is supplied with such 
an appliance, so the geimaras, or stone towers, 
already alluded to, have been erected with great 
difficulty out of stone brought laboriously by 
camel-back to these sand-hills in the desert. 
These towers not only indicate the path to El 
Oued in one direction and Touggourt in the 
other, but they serve as refuges. 

We were impressed, as the stranger must al- 
ways be, with the delightfully pure atmosphere of 
the desert, which revives and animates all who 
pass this way. But we were forced to turn away 
from one wonder after another and return to 
Touggourt, crossing with difficulty a stream of 
water pursuing a winding course through a 
rough channel. With renewed pleasure we 
reached the gardens and groves of the suburbs 
of Touggourt, which already seemed to be our 
home. 

TEMACIN AND THE MARABOUT 

Among other interesting excursions practicable 
in this section of the Sahara, is that to Temacin, 
southwest of Touggourt. The route, similar to 
those already described, passes through a num- 
ber of oases, some of which have had to be 
abandoned, new artesian wells sunk in other 
places having drawn away the source of water. 

134 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

Our journey was enlivened by meeting some hun- 
ters, who had shot two gazelles and an antelope, 
for either of which they demanded only a sum 
equal to sixty cents in United States currency. 
A most unique and picturesque sight was formed 
by two Arab horsemen, each of whom had a 
falcon on his shoulder and another on his hand ; 
as there was no game in sight at the moment, the 
birds were hooded. 

We continued our way for two kilometres south- 
west of Temacin to a village, where we visited 
the Marabout Mohammed el Aid Ben Ali Tidjani, 
at his Zaouia. We entered this more preten- 
tious village by a portal, and though the streets 
were narrow they were covered in places by 
arches; deep niches on either side afforded pro- 
tection from the rays of the sun. We were con- 
ducted almost immediately to the house of the 
marabout, who received us most courteously in a 
cosy, interesting drawing-room, a most unex- 
pected thing in this region. 

He had quite a collection of unique objects 
hanging on the walls or displayed on brackets 
and tables. On a cabinet stood a terra-cotta 
incense-burner, in which smouldered a sacred fire 
fed by aromatic gum, a further evidence that 
in the shades of religion among the various tribes 

135 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

o the desert, both local and nomadic, customs 
and tenets were borrowed from other countries 
and other faiths. In all these excursions in this 
part of the desert we were accompanied by Far- 
jala, and on this occasion his intercession enabled 
me to become the possessor of that earthenware 
incense-burner ; though its fire has long since 
ceased to burn, the cinders and unconsumed frag- 
ments of the fragrant gum still remain within the 
charred vessel. 

After we had inspected the many curious objects 
which decorated or added to the comfort of his 
apartment, the marabout entertained us at an 
almost too-bountiful lunch. A number of dishes, 
very peculiar in flavor, were served, each being 
perfumed as with the extract of roses or other 
flowers ; one of the most acceptable of these was 
prepared with lentils and raisins. Perhaps our 
palates might have become accustomed to his 
Oriental cookery if we could have continued at 
his board during some weeks, but of many of the 
dishes we partook very sparingly. It was amus- 
ing to observe with what gusto our attendants 
attacked these dishes. They also helped them- 
selves freely to the dates, which we esteemed as 
a luxury. 

The repast ended, we proceeded to see the town. 

136 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

Near the corner of a crooked street, a heavy door 
ajar afforded sufficient space for us to see into a 
public school. The apartment was like a court, of 
which the centre was open to the sky, the four 
sides roofed sufficiently to protect the scholars 
from the rays of the sun. As we peeped in, some 
of the boys looked up from the wooden tablets on 
which were inscribed portions of the surahs, which 
they were striving to commit to memory ; but they 
were not annoyed by our presence, nor did any of 
them interrupt the singing of their lessons, which 
produced a perfect bedlam, of which, however, they 
seemed entirely unconscious. In this manner the 
knowledge of the counsel and the laws of their 
prophet have been inculcated through many gen- 
erations. Costumed like their fathers in miniature, 
they sit around their teacher, their knees support- 
ing their wooden tablets, assured that if they were 
assiduous they would go into the world fortified 
against the trials and snares of this transitory life; 
and, far better, that through this knowledge they 
would rejoin their ancestors in the true life beyond 
the grave, where they should forever sit down with 
the prophet of God and do no work, for an Arab's 
idea of Paradise is a realm where labor shall be 
unknown. 

We were shown the mosque (really worth see- 

137 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

ing), with its mimbar and arched dome ornamented 
with arabesque stucco resembling coarse lace- 
work. In an adjoining crypt were the tombs of 
marabouts who had gone before. We were 
aware that Mohammed el Aid Ben Ali Tijani was 
endeavoring to read in our countenances the 
amount of our admiration, and we gave him rea- 
sonable satisfaction. 

From the gallery of the minaret of this mosque 
one may overlook the town and command a view of 
several small oases, from which the men of those 
hamlets patiently plod through the desert sand to 
pay their tribute at the throne of the prophet. 

In more than one hut we saw women seated on 
the ground turning between them a heavy hori- 
zontal millstone, grinding grain into a coarse flour 
(a good subject for an artist, exceedingly pic- 
turesque). So intently were they concerned in 
reducing the grain to meal that they, like the wor- 
shippers in the mosques, did not seem conscious 
of our presence. 

When our visit to the village of the Zaouia was 
accomplished we expressed our hearty thanks for 
kind attentions and walked back to the old dilapi- 
dated town of Temacin, whose ruined houses rise 
in several tiers above the hillock on which it was 
originally constructed. The approach is over a 

138 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

bridge ; one enters the town through an old arched 
gate-way, and after mounting the narrow streets a 
view may be had from the upper terraces of one 
of the few salt lakes of this region. On the 
shores of this lake grow coarse grasses, rushes, 
and the tamarisk-tree or shrub, a thorny evergreen, 
with scale-like leaves and clusters of rosy-pink 
flowers on the ends of its branches. It is in these 
salt deserts that this low tree occurs and flour- 
ishes. It exists through long droughts ; in fact, 
wherever this plant, or tree, is found nothing else 
will grow, and it thrives when almost all other 
vegetation is scorched by the rays of the sun. 
Some of the bushes are large enough to afford 
shade during the hottest weather. The ashes of 
the tamarisk yield sulphate of soda. 

Just outside of the walls of the town, and between 
it and a moat of salt water, is the market-place. 
At the time of our visit it was the day of one of 
their principal fairs at Temacin. 

The esplanade was crowded with merchants, 
and many clients were bargaining with them for 
their wares. This bargaining is one of the pecu- 
liar features of Sahara life — the merchant demands 
a far greater price than he ever hopes to obtain. 
The equally naive buyers know this and each man 
has generally four or five friends or hangers-on, 

139 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

who join in the dickering, give their opinions and 
advice, and when the bargain is at last consum- 
mated, if it arrives at that point, these counsellors 
turn to the right or the left seeking some new 
victim. 

We were speaking with those accompanying us 
concerning certain wares spread out on the ground 
for sale, when the blind dwarf, the egg-merchant 
whom we met at the market at Touggourt, recog- 
nized our host's voice, and groping about soon 
found his hand ; it was wonderful to see how his 
distorted face lighted up with pleasure at find- 
ing his friend. The dwarf kept by us and re- 
mained with us until we were ready to leave. 

As with many denominations these men of the 
desert count their prayers on chaplets of polished 
brown wooden beads, of which several varieties 
were exposed among the merchandise on sale. 

Contented with this exhibition of men and man- 
ners at the market of Temacin, we took our leave 
in the afternoon. On our way back to Touggourt 
we again viewed some of the astonishing pools of 
warm salt water, rising from the artesian wells 
en route. 

It will be interesting to account for the presence 

and source of a lake in this otherwise arid region. 

Of the sunlight and heat there is a superabund- 

140 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

ance. It has long since been suggested that there 
is a subterranean channel of water by which the 
Mediterranean Sea connects with Lake Med- 
jerja southeast of Temacin. On returning from 
this expedition we visited this Lake Medjerja. In 
it we found the fish Cyprinodon dispar, also the 
African Chromidce, and a fish said to be similar to 
a species taken in the Mediterranean. We em- 
ployed an Arab to catch some specimens of the 
latter, and had them cooked at Touggourt. The 
little islands of this lake abound with flocks of 
black water-fowl. On the islands and the shores 
are rushes and tamarisk-bushes and trees similar 
to those of the salt lake near Temacin. 

At sunset of the day before leaving Touggourt 
for the north, we strolled out into the desert to 
visit the tombs of the marabouts. No guide was 
needed to show the way, for the route was con- 
stantly indicated by the pilgrims from villages 
near and wide. We remarked with pleasure those 
devout Mussulmans trudging through the sand, 
and kneeling in earnest prayer at the shrines of 
their ancestral holy ones. This presents to us a 
fact meriting consideration. These Mahometans 
of this land where we are sojourning, the Brah- 
mins of India, and the Buddhists, one of the most 

numerous religious denominations on this earth, 

141 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

have each and all during many centuries enjoyed 
just such assurances of the reasonableness of 
their faiths as we Christians. Their ardor is to be 
admired as they silently express their trust in the 
mediation of their sacred dead whom they believe 
can and will intercede for them. 

Every tomb, every monument, every grove, each 
individual fruit-bearing palm, has interested us ; 
yet after one more glance at the primitive modes of 
enjoyment of the natives, — their innocent distrac- 
tions, their music, and their peculiar dances, which 
lead later to the gradual fatigue that causes one 
after another to cover up his head for the re- 
pose of the night, — we, too, become weary and 
prepare to take our places in the van (or courier) 
in the early hours of the dawning day en route for 
richer oases and civilization in the north. At 
seven o'clock in the morning came the sunrise, 
which compares favorably with sunrise at sea, the 
vapors hanging over the sands giving greater 
color and effect to the sunrise on the Sahara. 

With the daylight we saw other strange sights, 
and among them those that caused us almost to 
expect to arrive at some of the great cities with bat- 
tlements and verdant trees ; but these proved, like 
so many other experiences of life, to be only the 
visions, the illusions of one mirage after another. 

142 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

Thus we passed from Ourlana to Sidi Khelil, 
tasting here and there luscious dates, believing 
that we know something about their various qual- 
ities, or rather trying to become connoisseurs, for 
that is every man's occupation in that country. 
The colocynth was abundant here and there, and 
the jerboa, or dwarf kangaroo, spurted along and 
sported among the parched vines, and from a 
vantage-ground on the little hillocks of sand sur- 
veyed us again and again. 

After traversing a dreary, briny chott, which an 
hour before appeared to be a vast lake, we took 
fresh mules and passed over a section rich in out- 
cropping fragments of mica and selenite, the trans- 
parent crystallized variety of gypsum, which in the 
sunlight sparkled like so many diamonds. There 
were also numerous opaque crystals of alabaster. 

So undulating was the route at this point that the 
wagon rocked and pitched like a boat. Then for 
three or four kilometres the surface of the sand 
was white with flakes of nitre, as mentioned 
before. 

While changing mules at El Berd (a military 
bourg), we tried to get a few snap-shots of char- 
acteristic Arabs who were loitering around, but 
they all turned their heads quickly away, or cov- 
ered their faces with their outspread hands. In 

143 



■H 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

some districts no dislike is manifested to the ko- 
dak, though, as a general rule, Mussulmans do 
object to their portraits being taken by Christians. 
The Arab who on this occasion was the most 
active in covering his face was even more so in 
appropriating a considerable portion of the con- 
tents of our lunch-basket. 

In the afternoon we arrived at the well-known 
M'Raier,* one of the few comfortable bourgs or 
resting-places on this route. 

Whether in going south from Cora or in com- 
ing north from Touggourt, the old town of M'Raier 
is approached, after a long day's journey, by a road 
or tortuous lane which traverses in its winding 
way a group of several palm groves, which form 
the oasis bearing the name of the town. The 
road or lane is the pebbled course of a shallow 
stream of salt water which becomes a torrent 
during the annual rains, at which time alone sweet 
water may be obtained. This lane on either side 
is flanked the whole distance by sun-baked walls, 
which protect the palm gardens during the wet 
season. The walls are frequently cracked, be- 
cause within the sun-baked earth the trunks of 
living palm-trees, which were intentionally left as 

* Pronounced em-rye-air. 
144 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

supports, naturally increase and crowd out the 
walls as the trees crow larger. 

This is the case with the walls of the houses 
wherever smaller vegetation establishes itself. 
The roots of the wild desert sage are very coarse 
and are apt to be transplanted and introduced 
into the great brick of the walls when the soft wet 
mass is being formed. 

Just outside the most southern group, and close 
to some stalwart palms, an artesian well recently 
sunk has produced an enormous flow of warm 
salt water, the vicinity of which is always crowded. 
Near it, within a great oblong- walled caravansary, 
is accommodation for man and beast. The rooms, 
in a row, have floors paved with stone, thick walls, 
little light, and few comforts. Yet under the cir- 
cumstances this bourg, or refuge, seems to the 
weary traveller to be a palace in that arid region. 

The town is near another garden of palms. Its 
chief attraction, both for the residents and for those 
who care to see how all men live, is the market- 
place, or public square. It was near sunset the 
last time we were there, the men had come in from 
whatever toil had occupied them during the day, 
and it seemed almost as though they had grouped 
themselves around and about that little market- 
place, knowing that we were coming, and with a 

145 



I 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

desire to render the scene as picturesque as pos- 
sible. If such was their intention, they succeeded 
admirably, for the scene lives now within my mem- 
ory, though, much to my regret, time failed in which 
to sketch it in color. 

The men were grouped together in little coteries 
here, there, and everywhere ; some of them were 
smoking fragrant tobacco, and several were pre- 
paring tobacco for smoking by pounding it in large 
wooden bowls with wooden pestles. Others were 
looking on and advising two who were playing a 
game somewhat resembling draughts, the pieces 
shaped like bishops in a game of chess. The 
by-standers, as is usual in that land, took more 
interest in the game and had more to say about 
the play than had the two players. Others again 
were entertained with gossip, and still others lis- 
tened to the oft-repeated stories of the skilful 
Oriental romancers (more than a thousand of 
which have suffered by translation into our less 
poetical language), leaning on an elbow or 
nursing their legs while they cradled their chins 
on their knees and watched the gesticulations 
of the story-tellers. 

A large oblong pool was continually surrounded 

by the toilers, who replenished their skin sacks 

with its warm salt water. It is astonishing that a 

146 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

human being can carry one of those large skins 
when fully charged. 

A glance within some of the houses disclosed 
the fact that they had no wooden floors. The in- 
habitants live and sleep on the earth, which is 
smoothed by the constant pressure of their bare 
feet. Straw mats give to the apartments some 
decoration and to the occupants some sense of 
luxury. In the public place men and women were 
plaiting mats of rushes, which are used as floor- 
coverings, and some families of well-to-do date- 
growers afford themselves the comfort of Toug- 
gourt carpets or rugs, laid upon these rush 
mats. 

There was no undue staring at us ; all were 
courteous. One Arab, better dressed than the 
average, and having an air of refinement, came to 
us, offered some information, and escorted us 
through the town. With his assistance we visited 
the houses where women were weaving thin ma- 
terials in white and blue for their garments, the 
carvers of wooden door-bars, the chisellers of rings 
for door-knockers, not always round, but of vari- 
ous shapes and unique designs, as are also the 
palm-leaf baskets, some of which have open- 
work sides. 

On returning at night to our caravansary, we 

147 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

were regaled at dinner with steaks of antelope. 
After our repast, though it was evening, we vis- 
ited again the remarkable flow of warm water 
from the new artesian well close to our camping- 
ground. 

An estimate has been made of the probable 
duration of the water-supply in this desert. It 
has been suggested that, from the degree of de- 
crease observed in the flow from many wells, in 
about ten years water will have to be imported 
on camel-back across the desert, unless some 
new subterranean sources are discovered and 
reached by boring. It is a remarkable fact that 
frequently when a new well is opened some other 
fountain within the distance of two kilometres will 
cease to flow. 

A weary life is that of those keeping a way-side 
bourg for the lodging of infrequent travellers in 
such a barren country. Therefore, as there were 
five wanderers gathered around the landlord's 
board that evening, the event might have been 
considered brilliant. 

What with the plentiful and comforting repast 

(in which game figured prominently), the accounts 

given of many adventures and interesting incidents, 

with a bone thrown now and then to the dog, that 

landlord, his wife, his son Joseph, with a coat of 

148 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

more than one color but no brothers, and that 
dog managed to have an amusing time. 

The sleeping apartments were on the ground 
(the only floor) on three sides of a protected 
square within which the mules and their drivers 
were quartered for a part of the night. 

Like the experience of many travellers, the plain 
accommodation afforded for two or three hours 
that night compared favorably with occasions 
when rich furniture and fine linen had been our 
lot. The few hours that remained before the in- 
evitable early start were given to slumber. 

On the morrow, in the small hours of the dawn- 
ing day, we set out on the final section of our 
journey towards the north and civilization. 

Passing again through the narrow walled way 
between the palms as we left M'Raier, we entered 
again upon the desert, at times crossing dry ra- 
vines, called oueds (rivers), and said to contain 
water at certain seasons. Then once more our 
course was upon nearly barren stretches of sage- 
covered plains. 

With difficulty rising to another plateau, our 
mules plodding slowly through the deep sand 
afforded us an opportunity of observing one of the 
most picturesque scenes in this often monotonous 

journey. Marching almost as a regiment, a herd 

149 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

of shaggy, long-haired goats strolled out on the 
plain everywhere before us, with Arab shepherds, a 
few ouleds (boys), and four knowing shepherd dogs. 
For the moment they were the chief attraction on 
the visible expanse of the desert, until in the dis- 
tance a number of antelopes crossed the route we 
were about to take. Their gait was amusing, 
for so frequently did they bound and spring in 
air that they seemed to be leaping over barriers 
which, like the mirage, existed only in their imagi- 
nations. 

Our stop at Am Chegga* for lunch, which was 
carried with us, was a godsend for a rooster, a cat, 
a timid starved dog, and the old proprietress of 
five or six palm-trees and a gourbi or Arab hut. 
The little family gladly shared our repast, and 
looked as though they would have welcomed us 
had we daily returned to partake of their shade, 
which, with a rickety table, was their only hospi- 
tality. 

Journeying on again we passed more caravans ; 
in one we saw a camel which we were told was 
conveying a young negress on her way to the 
negro village beyond Old Biskra to be married 
to a rich date-planter. She was constantly con- 

* Ai'n signifies a spring. 
150 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

cealed from view in the arch-covered saddle, the 
illustration of which is given on page 151. In 
the same caravan were several camels carrying 
their new-born young, and other camels but a few 
days old, which followed as though that had been 
their occupation for many years. 

After we had taken our last relay of mules we 
saw more people in the desert ; there were more 
oases and villages, for we were nearing the mer- 
cantile centre. We passed more frequently hun- 
ters carrying game — antelopes and gazelles — on 
their backs. No longer could this game be pur- 
chased for three francs apiece, for the men had 
walked for three or four days over the desert, and 
now that they were approaching the market of 
Biskra they must be paid for their fatigue. The 
price had been augmented, and ten or even twelve 
francs were firmly refused. 

As the Chateau Landon came into view we saw 
again what industry and art can accomplish, even 
in the desert. The chateau is charming, with its 
grounds, its shady avenues, its rare trees and 
plants, — a very palace where before was desola- 
tion. 

We drove through the village Negre, and soon 
realized that the horse of iron and his steel way are 
driving out superstition by opening men's eyes, 

151 



SANDS OF SAHARA 

brightening their intellects, and introducing civili- 
zation. Then, reviewing all these curious evi- 
dences of superstition, I realized the great value of 
that amulet given to us by our Heavenly Father, 
that amulet, our Redeemer, Who sitteth forever at 
the right hand of God, that whoso believeth on 
Him and trusteth in Him shall finally rest in His 
realm, and never die. 



152 



APPENDIX 

The following is a list of the talismans secured 
during my journey in the Desert of Sahara. They 
are in my collection in The Free Museum of 
Science and Art, University of Pennsylvania. 

Donkey's foot, taken from the neck of a camel in a cara- 
van starting from Sidi Rachid. 

Gourd and appendages. Over a house-door to protect 
the inmates from disease. Sidi Rachid. 

Gourd, dried and shrivelled, with shells attached. To 
defend from evil spirits. Over a door at Sidi Rachid. 

A skull, said to be that of a jackal. Taken from over a 
door in Sidi Rachid. Placed there to give good luck in 
hunting and to keep off the jackals at night. 

Jawbone of an animal, cord attached. Taken from over a 
door at Sidi Rachid. 

Four amulets from over the doors of houses, Sidi Rachid. 
These consist of bags of coarse materials filled with sand, 
salt, etc. 

Donkey's foot, taken from over a door of a house. To 
protect the absent one of a family. Meggerine. 

Donkey's foot, taken from the outside lintel of a sun-dried 
mud house with an inner court. Meggerine. 

i53 



APPENDIX 

Talisman from Meggerine. 

Bone amulet to keep the devil from the house. From 
Meggerine. 

Amulet. Bag of coarse material pierced with thorns from 
certain palm-trees. To keep disaster from the house. Meg- 
gerine. 

Seven amulets from over the doors of houses, Meggerine. 
They consist of bags of coarse materials. 

Door amulet from Meggerine. Cloth bag with peppers 
attached. 

Artificial fish, painted. Arabic inscription on its front, 
written in large characters, Naala ala Ech Chatane — "That 
curses be spread upon thee, O devil." Another such in- 
scription is Emsche ruah Chatane — " Get thee out, Satan." 

Natural fish, dried and painted. Found hanging before 
the shop of a locksmith, who said that it had been guarded to 
protect the vision of his ancestors. 

Pair of talismanic ear-rings. Bought from a poor merchant 
outside of Nezla. 

Three engraved brass Fatima hands. 

Four rude, painted, pasteboard Fatima hands. From 
Tunisie. 

Fatima hand, faience, from a garden gate. 

Two talismanic necklaces of spice with metallic Fatima 
hands. 

Talismanic necklace for a horse. 

Five gilded glass talismans. 

Talisman, lizard skin, from over a door at Nezla. 

Two talismans containing sacred texts. 

Three Mohammedan rosaries. 

Five cowries. 

i54 



APPENDIX 

Cowrie, bought at a well near Carthage, off a girl's neck, 
by the permission of her father. 

Jawbone of an animal. From a house in Nezla. 

Part of a wealthy woman's trousers, with the symbolic 
hand of Fatima. 

Wooden hand of Fatima. It was hanging over the front 
door of the shop of a barber and watch repairer. It had 
been during seventy years in the family of the man from 
whom it was procured. 

Mirrors from houses in Nezla. ' ' If the devil comes and 
sees himself he will be so disgusted that he will run away. ' ' 

Talismans to place under the arms when the blood is over- 
heated. From Touggourt. 

Talisman containing a quotation from a sura in the 
Koran. 

Foot of a porcupine. Arabic inscription on the silver 
holder. 

Foot of a porcupine. Repousse mounting. 

Two metal talismans, bought from nomadic girls of the 
Ouled Nails.* 

Leather talisman, bought from nomadic girl of the Ouled 
Nails. 

Talisman obtained from a girl of the Ouled Nails. Paper 
wound with cord. Taken from the neck of the girl. 

Black ebony talisman with inscriptions. 

Large silver Fatima hand, set with forty-six stones and 
having coral pendants. 

Four belts with Fatima hands. 

Egg-shell amulet, cord strung with small onions. 

* Pronounced Na-eel. 
155 



APPENDIX 

Egg-shell amulet, cord strung with peppers. 

Tin talisman from Ouled Na'ils girls, Bedouin camp, Toug- 
gourt. 

Hone stones on which the Arabs sharpen their knives. 
They are ornamented, and, through long use, passing from 
father to son, are regarded as talismans. 

Talisman with a long cord. Procured from a woman who 
passed it around her waist and around her neck. From 
Bedouin camp. 

Smooth brass talisman. Procured with difficulty. From 
Bedouin camp. 

Five tin talismans from Bedouin camp. 

Two talismans with five cowries. From Bedouin camp. 

Eleven leather talismans from Bedouin camp, near Toug- 
gourt. 

Silver talisman with blue stone centre, worn by a child. 
Mohammedan inscription on both sides. 

Talismanic necklace of beads with moon-shaped silver 
pendant. 

Tooth set in silver. Hunter's talisman. Beni-Mora. 

Two teeth set in silver wire. Hunter's talisman. 



156 



INDEX 



* 



Ablutions, faithful performing their, 

14, 15, 95 

Ad Piscinam (ancient), 88 
^Esculapius, 80, 82 
Am Chegga, 84, 97, 150 
Aissouai, itinerant, 74-75 
Algeria, its mosques, 10-17 
Algerian garden, the, 40-42 
Algiers, 10, 26, 52, 79 

Court of the Fountains, 14-15 

port of, 10 

quays of, 1 1 
Alma, 43 
Almond- trees, 43 
Amphorae, 46, 62 
Amulets, 32, 79, 96, 121, 126, 127, 

132 

and talismans, 85-90 
Ancient Greek theatre, Syracuse, 7 

Roman cities, Africa, 7, 80 
Appendix, list of talismans, 153-156 
Apple-trees, 100 

Arch of Septimus Severus, 80, 83 
Artesian Wells, 99, 113, 114, 115, 

140 
Asha, second period of prayer, 16 
Asr, fifth period of prayer, 16, 17 
Asrayl, Moslem archangel, ^3 
Atlas Mountains, 50, 52, 73 
Auctioneers, the, and blind dwarf, 

108-109 
Azouza, 63 

Bamboos, 41, 43 
Bananas, 42, 123 
Banana- trees, 40 



Barbers, 102 

Batna, 12, 79, 80, 84 

Bazaars, 38, 39, 93, 103 

Bedouin encampments, 1 19-120 

Bedouins, 79 

Belloua, 48, 49, 53 

Bellouan funeral, a, 48-50 

Beni-Mancour, 79, 101 

Bernouse, 60, 68, 101, 108, 117 

Bir Djefair, 84 

Biskra, 12, 79, 84, 90, 93, 94, 151 

Blacksmith, no 

Blind dwarf, the auctioneers and, 

108, 140 
Blod Guitoun, 43 
Bossuet, 20 
Bougie, 5 1 
Bowls, 122 

Cafe Mauresque, 117-119 
" Caid Ahmed Lalalie," 129 
Camel, goat, and donkey market, 

109-111 
Camel races, 90-93 
Camels, 90, 92 

carrying their young, 151 

drinking, 96-98 

nearly white, 128 

slaughter of, no 
Camels' skulls fastened over doors, 

92, 136 
Camp Marechal, 43 
Cape Caxine, 18 
Caravans, 93, 94, 96, 127 

carrying women, 95 

conveying young negress, 1 50 



'57 






INDEX 



Catacombs at Syracuse, 8, 9 

Cave "Dionysius's ear," 9 

Chateau Landon, 151 

Chinese figure — stone, 86 

Chott Melgigh, 98 

Chotts, tracts of salt water, 93, 1 22, 

123, 128, 143 
Cocoanuts, 42 
Coffee merchants, 68 

primitive manner of making, 69 
Colocynth, 124, 132, 143 
Colonnade, 82 

Commandant, house of, 103, 104 
Cora, 90, 144 
Cork-trees, 50, 51, 63 

commercial importance of, 63 
maturity of, 63 
removal of bark from, 63 
Corso, 43 
Costumes, 39, 61, 64, 68, 72, 10 1, 

in, 129, 130 
Court of the Fountains, 14, 15 
Cous-cous, the national dish, 94, 

105, 107, 108 

Dancing girls (Ouled Nails), 117, 

118 
"Danse du Ventre," 118 
Date-palms, groves of, 24, 84, 100, 

103, 132 
Dates, 45, 97, 99, 103, 107, 126, 

143 

Deglet Nour, finest grown, 100 
Dealers, 32, 39, 66, 67, 68, 105, 

109 
Desert of Sahara, 12, 84, 85, 93-96 
"Dionysius's ear," cave, 9 
Divisions of the day, 16 
Djaballah ben Mahomet, 130 
Djama el Djedid, mosque, 33, 39 
Djama el Kebir, mosque, most 

ancient, 14 
Donkeys, 104, 106, no 



Dormitories and refectory, 27-29 
Dra-el-Mizan, 51 
Duhr, fourth period of prayer, 16 
Dunes of El Oued, 79, 132-134 

Earthenware incense-burners, 106, 
107, 135, 136 

utensils, 105 
El Berd (a military bourg), 143 
El-Guera, 79, 
El Hadjira, 84 
El Kantara, 79, 84 
El Oued, dunes of, 79, 132-134 
Encampment of prisoners' wives, 

103-104 
Enchanter comes, the, 78 
English railway, 79 
En route for the sands, 78-79 
Eucalyptus-trees, 26, 40, 43 
Evening at the village mosque, 52- 

54 

Fakirs and fortune-tellers, 71-73, 

119 
Fan-makers, 1 17 

-merchants, 106 
Farjala, 104, 120, 122, 123, 136 
Fatma, favorite wife of Mahomet, 

87 

hand of, 87 y 88, 131 

legend of hand of, 87 
Fayum, natives of, 30 
Figs, 45, 9 8 > 103 
Fig-trees, 43 
Fish, 123, 128, 141 
"Fort National," 64 
Forum at Lambessa, 80 

at Thimgad, 80, 81, 83 
Fountains, 39, 45, 46 

Court of the, 14, 15 
French government, 24, 79, 84 

Game resembling draughts, 146 
Gamhra, sweetest water at, 98 



[ 5 8 



INDEX 



Gandouras, 68, 108 
Garden, the Algerian, 40-42 
Gardens, 98 

and industrial buildings, 24-27 
Gate of the desert, the, 84-85 
Geimaras, ancient stone towers, 123, 

132, 134 
Girls, 45, 46, 62 

married and unmarried, 72 
Goats, 51, 64, 92, 96, 150 
Goat's milk, 94, 103 
Gorge of Chiffa, 35, 37, 40 

its monkeys, 35-38 
Governor of Moggars, 129 
Greek theatre, Syracuse, 7 
Gum benjamin, 107 
Gypsum, beds of, 93, 123, 128, 132 

Haiks, 68, 72 

Hand of Fatma, 87, 88, 131 

Hasheesh, 66, 102 

Henna, 107 

Hezzabin, 33 

Hooded falcons, 109, 135 

Houses of Sidi Rachid, 126 

Incense-burners, 106, 107, 135, 136 

Indian hemp, 102 

India-rubber trees, 40 

Industrial buildings, gardens and, 

24-27 
Inhabitants of Nezla, 121 

of Touggourt, 1 01 
Interesting sights, 1 3 
Iron bridges at Sebaou River, 59 
Israfyl, Moslem archangel, 33 
Itinerant Aissouai, 74-75 

fanatic performances of, 74 
Ixos, the dusky, 17 

Jackals, skulls, 92 

Jebrayl, Moslem archangel, 2,3 

Jerboa, 124, 143 

Jewellers, 103 



Jewelry, 65, 72 
Jugglers, 72 
Jugs, 65, 122 

Kabylia, 12, 42-44, 45, 56, 57, 63 

costume, 46, 57 

de Djurdjura, 12 

jewelry, 65 

women, 61 
Kabylians, 50, 68, 70, 71, 77 

and their country, glimpse at, 56- 

57 
Kabylian scenery, 50-52 

Kasba, 11, 18, 40, 113 

of the Agha, 103 
Kef-el-Akhdar, 97 
Khartum, 30 

Knife-makers, 65, 103, no 
Koran, 31, 55, 65 

manuscript copies, richly illumi- 
nated, 33 
Kufieyah, 67, 72, 101 

Lake Medjerja, connects with Medi- 
terranean, 141 

Lambessa, ancient Roman city, 79, 
80 
and Thimgad, 80-84 

Lares and Penates, 82, 83 

Latonia del Paradiso (ancient 
quarry), 9 

La Trappe, 1 9, 23, 28 

Leather dealers, 103, 105 

Lemons, 43, 98 

List of talismans (Appendix), 153- 
156 

Little mosque at base of mountain, 

53 
Looms, primitive, 119, 122 
L'Oued Rir, 99, 103 

M'Raier, 79, 84, 90, 98, 144, 149 

market-place, 145 
Machine-shops, 24 



159 



INDEX 



Madagascar cypress-trees, 40 

ravenala (water-tree), 41 
Maghrib, first period of prayer, 

16 
Magnolia-trees, 40 
Mahomet, 15, 49, 55, 87 

legend of protection of head, 87 
Mandarins, 42, 98 
Marabout, the, 48, 49, 89 

Temacin and, 134-152 
Marabouts, tombs of, 1 21, 138, 141 
Marche de la Lyre, 40 
Marcus Aurelius, 80 
Market-day at Touggourt, 104- 106 

of Souk-el-Arba, 64 

-place, 83, 101, 102, 117, 139 
Massinissa, 56 
Massyli, 56 

Mauri tanian kingdoms, 56 
Meggerine, 79, 128-132 
" Memento mori," 26 
Menerville, 43 

Junction, 79 
Merchants, 66, 68, 104, 106, 139 
Mikayl, Moslem archangel, t>3 
Mimbar (pulpit), 32, in, 138 
Minarets, 11, 30, 34, 53, 72, 112, 

138 
Mirage, 94, 142 
Mohammed el Aid, Ben Ali Tid- 

jani, marabout, 135, 138 
Mohammedans, 56 
Monastery at Syracuse, 8 

of Staoueli (Trappist), i7~ 2 9 
Monkeys, Gorge of Chiffa, 34-38 
Monks of La Trappe, 19, 22 

principal industry of, 25 
rules for, 27 
Moorish cafes, 39 

fort, old, 18 

houses and bazaars in the Oriental 
city, 38-40 
Mosaic floors, 80, 8^ 



Moslem archangels, four principal, 

33 
Moslems, 32, 54 

Mosques, 14, 32, 2,3, 53, "i-"2, 
137, 138 

of Algeria, 10-17 
Mount Belloua, 45-48 
Mountains, Atlas, 50, 52, 73 
Muezzin, the, II, 16, 30, 53, 112 
Museum, 80 

of the Louvre, Paris, 80 

of University of Pennsylvania, 30, 
66, 86, 90, 153 
Mustapha, II 



Suph 



S4- 



National games, 83 
Negre, 151 
Nezla, 79, 120-122 
Ngouca, 84 
Nomads, 89, 1 13, 115 
Numidia (ancient), 56 

Oases, 84, 98, 115 

Off to Souk-el-Arba, 57-64 

Old Moorish fort, 18 

Olive-trees seven hundred years old, 

65 

Oranges, 25, 43, 98 

Order of the Trappists, 19-29 

Oriental city, Moorish houses and 

bazaars in, 38-40 
Ostrich eggs, curiously engraved, 30 

farm, 29-30 

feathers, 30 
Ouargla, 84, 89 
Oued Gheiir, 97, 103 

Smar, 43 
Ouled Nails, dancing girls, 117, 

118, 119 
Ourlana, 84, 143 

Palm groves, 98-100 

-trees, 40, 99, 100, 116, 144 



:6o 



INDEX 



Plane-trees, 40, 43 
Pliny, 88 

Pointe Pescade, 18 
Pompeii, 81 
Potteries, 122 
Praetorium, 80 
Prayer, posture for, 31 

carpets, 31 

mats, 11, 14, 31, 34, 54, 112 
Prayers for the dead, 48 
Primitive coffee merchants, 68 

hand-looms, 119, 122 

locks and keys, 106 

ploughs, 44 

shepherds, 63 
Prior Zosimus, 23 
Public baths, 80, 83 

latrines, 80 

school (Zaouia), 137 

Quays of Algiers, 1 1 

Railways, 79, 84, 85 
Ramadan, 54-55 

Ranee, Armand Jean Bouthillier de, 
20 
Abbot of La Trappe, 20 
Canon of Notre Dame de 
Paris, 20 
Rat a trompe, 124 
Reghaia, 43 
Remarkable flow of warm water, 

148 
Rohan- Montbazon, Duchess of, 21 
Roman cities in Africa, 7 
Roses, fields of rare, 24 
Rouiba, 43 

Ruins, massive, African Desert, 7, 
81 

Saada, 84, 97 

Sakerja (aromatic leaves), 102 

Salt lakes, 112, 139, 140 



Sand-storms, 98, 105, 133 

School of industrial arts and traues, 

61 
Scrub sage, 97, 106, 132 
Seaside city, 30-34 
Season of Ramadan, 54 
Sebaou River, iron bridges over, 59 
Septimus Severus, arch of, 80 
Setif, 51, 79 
Setil, 84 

Sewers, of massive stone, 81 
Sheep, herds of, 64, 114 
Sheik, 125, 127, 129, 131 
Shoemakers, 67, 103 
Shops, 61, 80, 81, 103 
Side aba el Rohmen el Talebi 

(Mosque), 40 
Sidi-Feruch, 18 
Sidi-Khelil, 84, 143 
Sidi Rachid, 79, 122-128 
Skilled mechanics, no 
Skulls and bones on doors and walls, 

92, 131 
Snake-charmers, 75-76 
Snow-clad mountains, 43, 60 
Souk-el-Arba, 58, 59, 78, 64-71 
Staoueli, 17, 24, 59 

monastery at, 17-29 
Statues, 80, S3, 84 
Stone for ablutions, 15, 95, 112 
Story-teller, 76-77 
Subh, third period of prayer, 16, 17 
Subterranean grotto, 38 

sea, 114 
Symbolic ablutions, 95 
Syracuse, ancient Greek theatre at, 

7 
catacombs at, 8, 9 
monastery, 8 
vast caverns, 8 

Talismans, 30, 32, 79, 82, 86, 87, 
89,91, 119, 122, 131 



161 






INDEX 



Talismans for animals, 90 
Tamarisk-trees, 112, 139, 141 
Tamazirt, 61 

Tamerna Kedima, 84, 98 
Tamghout Lalla Khadidja, 51, 52 
Taza, 60 

Tchagra shrike, 17 
Temacin, 79, 108, 112 

and the marabout, 134-152 

market-place, 139 
Temple of Jupiter, 80 

of Victory, 81 
Terra-cotta benches, 116 
dishes, 122 
incense-burner, 135 
tiles, 71, 72 
Theatre, 8^ 

Thermae (public baths), 8^ 
Thimgad, 79, 80 

Lambessa and, 80-84 
Thunder-storm in the mountains, 58 
"Tieeb; tieeb kateer," 75 
Tizi Ouzou, 44-45, 53, 58 
Tobacco, 99 

Tombs of marabouts, 121, 138, 141 
Touaregs (black men with veiled 

faces), 101, 106 
Touggourt, 100-120 

ancient wells of, 115 

auctioneers and blind dwarf, 108- 
109 

Bedouin encampments near, 119- 
120 

Cafe Mauresque, II 7-1 1 8 

camel, goat, and donkey market, 
109-1 1 I 

encampment of prisoners' wives, 
103-104 

hooded falcons, 109 

market-day, 104-106 

mosque, IH-112 

Touaregs, 1 06- 108 

underground city, 1 1 5-1 1 7 



Touggourt, water-supply, 112-115 

Tribunes, 8^ 

Turmeric, 107 

Turpentine bushes, 97, 124, 132 

Underground city (Touggourt), 

115-117 
Unique and picturesque sight, 135 

costume, 64 

work, 65 
University of Pennsylvania, Museum 

of the, 30, 66, 86, 90, 153 

Veneration for Mahomet, 15 
Vineyards, 24 
Vintage-halls, 24 

Water, pools of warm, 113, 140, 146 

probable duration of, 148 

supply of, 1 1 2-1 15 
Water-carriers, picturesque girls, 45, 

62, 113 
Water-sacks, body skins of calves, 

68 
Wells, artesian, 99, 113, 114, 115, 

140 
Wine, 25, 63 

Women, 26, 29, 61, 72, 107, 113, 
120, 130 

fortune-tellers, 73, 119 

grinding grain, 138 

plaiting mats, 147 

weaving, 119, 147 
Wood and stone paving, 101 
Wooden utensils, 65 
Worshippers, devout, 31 

Zaouia, 138 

public school, 137 

the marabout at, 135 
Zerack, 70 
Zeralda, 29 



162 



H 122 80 










1 J»V * 5 












^° . 









^/ 



^> 



^ 












> ^ 






, o ■ 







* at yv. • ©IIS * «? ^ 

a <*. 



Deacidified 
Neutralize 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
v. Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: April 2003 



^ -y Treatment Date: April 2003 

Preserve! ionTechnologies 

r\ -** * P&Mf&S aV' O **XS5^« ' a world leader in paper preservation 

1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
v** A Cranberry Township, PA 16066 

»* # °* •> V .*JL<W> ^ A9 (724)779-2111 



.^ 



» V. 



5* 







++J 













LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




010 590 474 5 



L_ 



